Counting to Ten
by alikat224
Summary: Jason Morgan meets Elizabeth Webber while on vacation. A fun fairy tale for all. Rated NC17 / MA for some smut and foul language but 90% of the story is PG to PG13.
1. Chapter 1

Counting to Ten

**Counting to Ten**

"Cameron Alexander Webber! If you don't get your little behind over here NOW we are NOT going to the parade tonight."

Jason tipped his sunglasses down his nose to get a better look at the leggy brunette in the hot pink string bikini and matching sarong yelling at the little boy who was fully dressed, shoes and all, stepping slowly into the shallow end of the pool while sticking his tongue out at his mother.

Why did I let Carly talk me into coming here? All these kids. How am I supposed to relax and recuperate from the stabbing when I can't even get some sleep lounging around the pool while Carly, Michael and Morgan went to tour around Fantasy Land.

Disney World. What the hell was I thinking? Well, I know what I was thinking. Animal Kingdom and Epcot. That's all I was thinking. And getting some rest and some sun while Port Charles still froze. April and it's still thirty degrees in the sleepy New York town. Everyone was wearing parkas and gloves and snow boots while he was able to lounge by a pool in eighty-five degree weather in a pair of shorts.

"Cam, honey please? Mommy has an interview and we need to get back to the hotel room so I can get dressed and the hotel babysitter can watch you." She begged of her four year old son.

"NO, I want to swim!" was his response as he fully sunk into the water while standing on the stairs.

First she threatens, then she begs. He's got your number honey. You haven't won the battle or the war. You never will. Where is his father? If I were his father, I would sternly walk over to the water and pull him out of the water and walk him to the room and follow through with that threat of no parade. Women. No backbone. Carly's the same way.

Jason sat up straighter as he watched the brunette turn around and look straight at him. 'Did I say that out loud?' he thought as she huffed and started walking toward him.

"Excuse me. May I use your table for a moment? I need to get my son and he is being downright ornery today." She asked.

Jason was awestruck. He could not say a word. His jaw was left gaping open as he stared into the most beautiful blue doe shaped eyes he had ever seen. He allowed his gaze to travel down her body. He nose was cute and perked up just a notch at the end. Her lips were full and pouty with a deep red color that naturally tinged them. She had freckles across her chest and her breasts were full and round and still standing. Not an easy feat for a woman who was also a mother. She looked to be in her late twenties and her body looked amazing. He continued his trip to her flat stomach with the slightest swell just under her bellybutton which was normal for a woman who had a child. Most women never get that completely flat stomach back because off the stretch it takes while the baby grows. It's sexy on women. It's REALLY sexy on her.

His eyes continued their decent to the junction between her thighs. She was thin but not overly skinny. Her legs were nicely shaped and her hips curved in a way that was all woman. He knew she worked out because he could see the muscle in her legs but could also see straight through her legs right at the part where they stopped being legs. Without realizing it, he licked his lips.

"Oh never mind. Honestly!" She stomped and threw her bag, towels, book on the Artists of Italy, sunglasses and cell phone on the ground at her feet.

"I'm sorry. Of course you can use the table." He stammered out jumping up slightly placing both his feet on the concrete. "I guess I was too late."

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm sorry. You were probably asleep or deep in tho…CAMERON WEBBER GET OUT OF THAT POOL! DON'T YOU DARE GO ANY FURTHER!" she yelled when his little devious laughter turned her attention away from the blue eyed chick magnet she was focused on.

Cameron Webber was not a good child. Oh he was sweet and loving and Elizabeth would never trade him for all the art supplies in the world but his terrible twos had lasted two years now. She had even taken parenting classes but they didn't work. He was rambunctious, active, too smart for his own good and a handful for his single mother.

He actively swam into the middle of the pool, laughing at his mother while she stomped her feet in disgust.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Elizabeth counted as her child psychologist had instructed her to do.

"Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty" Elizabeth continued counting past ten when it didn't work. Just like her Grams had told her to do.

"Twenty one, twenty two, twenty three" she continued like her brother Steven had suggested when she became so aggravated one night that she ruined one of her paintings she had been working on.

"Counting…I do that too." Jason said as he stood and walked up next to her, pushing his sunglasses back up over his eyes and pulling up his pants that rode low on his waist.

"Huh? What? Oh, yeah, counting. Doesn't do a damn bit of good." She replied.

Next both adults were soaked from the knees down when Cameron decided to send his arm through the water to splash up onto his mother and whoever the guy was talking to her. Looking down, Elizabeth realized he had just soaked her book, cell phone and bag which held her purse among other things as well as the towels she had to dry him off with. That was it. Play time was over.

"ONE, TWO, TEN!" she said as she raised her hands in exasperation and started to stalk toward the side of the pool. "Cameron Webber you GET OUT OF THAT POOL NOW!"

With a twinkle in his eye, he pushed off the side and swam to the middle again. Suddenly he was out of the water and into the air by a hugely muscled arm and standing in front of his mother, dripping wet and unable to get loose from the hand that held him. The hand attached to the arm attached to the man he had just soaked along with his mother. Looking up, he wasn't afraid. The man didn't hurt him and for some reason, which Cameron didn't understand, the man looked…fun.

"I believe your mother asked you to get out of the pool. You should probably listen to her. I would if I were you." Jason said in a soft soothing voice as his hand moved from the boys arm to the top of his shoulder to gently keep him standing facing his mother.

"I…uh…thank you. Cameron, you should not have splashed water. I do not understand why you won't do as I ask today."

"Because I don't want a babysitter. I don't want you to talk to that man today in your meeting. I don't want to move away if you get the job."

Bending down to become eye level with her son, she took in a deep breath and let it out before responding. "Cameron, this job interview is very important to Mommy. It would mean we could buy a house with a back yard for you to play in. It would mean a new car and money in the bank instead of always just getting by. It would mean I would be able to do what I love and get paid for it instead of waitressing. Honey, I know you don't want to move from Colorado but we can go back to visit Grams and Uncle Steven anytime. And they will come visit us. Grams is even going to take a leave of absence to stay with us for the first three months after we move to help out."

"I don't want you to go Mommy." He pleaded.

Looking up a the man who still had his hand gently on Cameron's shoulder and had actually started to rub small circles on his back with his fingers, Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you for your help. I apologize for my son's behavior. I hope you aren't too upset that he splashed you and then that you ended up even more wet jumping in the water to pull him out. I really don't know what to say except Thank you."

Reaching down and grasping her arm with his free hand he gently coaxed her up into a standing position. "You don't need to thank me. You were having a hard time. Boys can be so…well let's just say, boys can be boys. I have two nephews that try my patience at times." He lied. Michael and Morgan were always on their best behavior when in Jason's presence. "I am just glad I could help out. It sound like there is more to this than just a little boy behaving badly."

"Well, he has always been a handful but ever since he found out we were moving, he has been horrible. I had hoped bringing him to Disney World for the final meeting with my new boss to hammer out all the specifics would be enjoyable for him. And he has enjoyed every part except when I mention my meeting tonight."

"You said your boss but earlier you indicated you didn't have the job yet. Miss…" Jason asked, suddenly curious about everything about her. Her name especially.

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth Webber. And I don't have the job completely. I mean, I am the finalist but this next meeting where we hammer out schedules, pay, moving and what exactly is expected of me could come crashing down and I'll be back to waitressing by the end of the week with an even bigger debt since taking this little vacation is putting a huge strain on my only credit card."

Cameron started to fidget so Jason bent down and picked him up in his arms and looked the boy in the eye. "It sounds like this job is really important to your Mommy. Why don't you cut her some slack today, okay? You can go back to being awful tomorrow."

"Okay. Hey what's your name?" The little boy said as he fidgeted with the silver cross necklace that hung on a short chain around Jason's neck.

"My name is Jason. Jason Morgan. And your name is Cameron Webber. That's a strong name. I bet you are a really strong man too." He replied smiling at the curly headed boy that looked just like his mother except his eyes were brown instead of blue.

"I am, see" Cameron raised his arm in a ninety degree angle and flexed his little muscle for the man he now knew as Jason.

"Wow, that is strong." Jason replied squeezing the boy's bicep with his free arm.

"I bet you are strong too. Let me see. Let me see." The little boys animated face quirked as he tried to lift the man's arm.

Jason, embarrassed, didn't lift his arm and looked over at Elizabeth for help.

"You started it." She said as she crossed her arms across her chest and pulled her own sunglasses down her nose to get a good look at the chest and arm in question. She was actually hoping to see him flex his muscle too. It wasn't often that you met a real life Adonis. She wanted to paint him. No, scratch that, she wanted to sculpt him. That way she would have to touch him to get the right lines and depths of the rippling muscles on his body.

"Okay, well then you need to see it all." Jason said putting her son down and turning fully to face Elizabeth. He knew the look of a woman wanting to gape at his muscles. He'd seen it all the time at the gym next to the coffee shop. He would work out and suddenly, all the stair-step and jazzercise classes emptied out to stand in front of the window to the weight room.

He formed a perfect traditional muscle flexing pose. Then turned around and did the same thing again. Finally he lowered his arms and picked the little boy back up into his arms. "Was that what you two wanted to see?"

Elizabeth could not speak. She prayed there was not drool dripping from her agape mouth. Here eyes didn't blink. Her body didn't move. She just stood there, staring.

Laughing, he shook her shoulder a bit. "Hey, didn't you have a meeting you needed to get to?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Come on Cameron. Help Mommy pick up all of her soaking wet stuff and let's get going."

"Okay Mommy." The little boy conceded as he jumped down from the strong mans arms.

Jason stood there watching the two of them working to pick up, wring out and shake out all of their stuff. His mind was frantically searching for the next thing to say. Normally he was so calm and collected. He could talk women out of their clothes in seconds at Jakes but this one woman had his thoughts cluttered. He didn't know what to say or even is she would respond to him. Sure responding physically to his sculpted body was one thing but this woman had brains, class and…a kid. She doesn't need one night stands or men who drifted in and out of her and her son's life. Noticing her standing back upright with her wet stuff in her hands and gently taking her son's hand in her free one he panicked.

'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven….aw fuck it' he thought as he grabbed her and pulled her into his chest and forced his lips onto hers. She gasped which was all he needed to slide his tongue into her mouth and search hers.

She wasn't stiff and she didn't act scared but she wasn't necessarily responding. He stopped abruptly and pulled away. Cameron let out an 'ewww' as he was looking up between the two adults. He looked down, smiled then looked back at Elizabeth's face.

He waited…and waited…and waited for her to do or say something. Instead she just stood in the same position he let go of her in. Her mouth still slightly open and swollen from the kiss he had just placed on it. Her arms still holding her son's hand in one and her book, cell phone, towels and bag in the other.

Finally, feeling like he had just overstepped and not really knowing what possessed him to do it he stammered, "I...I'm…I mean…well…I don't know what possessed me to do that. I apologize for being so forward."

Finally shaking out of her fantasy that continued to run its course in her mind even after he stopped kissing her she finally spoke.

"So this _**IS**_ the most magical place on earth."


	2. Chapter 2

Counting to Ten

**Counting to Ten**

**Chapter 2**

Jason and Carly were headed into Victoria and Albert's, the formal dining room at the Grand Floridian. Jason just wanted to go find someplace where they could have a beer and maybe a burger but Carly pouted and whined until Jason promised to put on a dress shirt and some dress slacks and take her out somewhere nice for the evening. She was still stinging from the separation from Jasper Jacks two moths ago and she needed her best friend to make her feel special. At least that's what she told him. Rolling his eyes, he watched as she picked over the men's suits because he had to have at least a dress coat on in the dining room. She spoke rudely about every woman who walked by and treated their attendant in the men's clothing store like he was dog-shit on her four hundred dollar shoes.

"Jason, after dinner can we go to Pleasure Island and go dancing?"

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"Jase, you promised me you would take me and the boys on vacation and help me get over Jax."

"Well that never included a promise to dance with you."

"I'll buy you beer and play pool with you. If I win, we dance."

"And if I win?" Jason asked quirking an eyebrow.

"Then I'll leave you alone for the rest of our vacation."

"DEAL"

Jason pulled the jacket on, paid cash to the attendant and included a heafty tip for his patience with Carly and headed to the hostess booth outside the restaurant.

Jason crossed his arms and smiled. Carly was a pretty good shot at pool but when she won, it was always because he let her. Never because she could. Tonight he would win his peace and quiet. Maybe he could even convince her to go shopping tomorrow while he and the boys went to Animal Kingdom. That would be pure bliss.

The information televisions they had scattered throughout the lobby caught his attention.

_It's the most magical place on earth._

Jason smiled thinking of the leggy brunette he had kissed earlier. Once she spit out that little advertising slogan she turned beet red and ran, nearly forgetting to pull along her son. Jason could not get her out of his mind.

All afternoon, his lips tingled from the instant sparks that coursed through his lips as soon as they touched hers. He daydreamed about how her body fit so perfectly against his chest. Even with things in her hands he knew that her face and chest would cradle perfectly against his. He imagined staring into her sapphire blue eyes while making love to her on the beach. He imagined her on the back of his motorcycle with her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Jase, EARTH TO JASON!" Carly was waving her hand in front of his face once they were seated at their table by the dinner host.

"Huh? What?" he stammered as he sat up straight scrubbing the smile from his face. He looked around to see that no one was paying attention to him and with a shaky hand lifted the fine Waterford water glass to his lips.

"Jeez Jase, where'd you go this time. You know you haven't been paying attention to me all afternoon. Ever since you got back from the pool it's like you are off in your own little world." Carly whined.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About Courtney?" Carly asked. She knew her friend was devastated when her ex sister-in-law left him for Prince Cassadine but that was almost two years ago. However, Jason had never gotten back up on the bike or the horse so to speak. Sure he had a few one night stands with women he'd met at Jakes but never found someone he could fall in love with again.

"No, not about Courtney. Carly, just leave it alone. It's..it's nothing."

"Okay, if you say so. Whatever has you distracted, is there anything I can do?" she asked trying to be the friend he always was for her.

"No, what are you having for dinner?" he changed the subject pulling his menu up high enough so that she could not see his face and he studied the different dishes wishing that one of them would say cheeseburger and fries in the description.

"I think I am going to have the swordfish. That looks good. What about you?"

"Do you think they could grind up that prime rib and slap it on a bun for me?" he laughed.

Carly, joining in on her best friend's humor slapped at his menu. "Jason, we'll get you a hamburger tomorrow. Gosh, you act like this fine dining experience will kill you."

Just then the harpist that they hadn't noticed was off to their right started to play. Rolling his eyes as he looked over his shoulder he leaned in and whispered, "I think it just started to kill me softly. Do we have to stay?"

"No, I guess not. If I make you stay for this you'll only end up with a headache and then we won't be able to go to Pleasure Island."

"You are right. Let's go." He stood, scooting his chair back and ever the gentleman, walked over and took Carly's hand helping her to her feet while pulling her chair back.

"Is there a problem sir?" the Maitre'd asked as he quickly walked over to their table.

"Uh.." looking over at the harpist who was playing what he swore was a Michael Jackson song on the overgrown guitar, "No we just decided we'd rather hit Pleasure Island and save the fine dining for another night."

"Well Sir, this is the most exclusive restaurant on the Disney World property. Your reservation was guaranteed with…" the man started to explain and Jason cut him off.

"Fine, here will two hundred dollars shut you up?" Jason frustratedly pulled out his money clip and threw the two c notes on the table.

"Yes sir. That will cover your last minute break in reservations." The man quickly scooped up the money and headed back to his station.

"Come on" Jason said as he grabbed on to Carly's elbow and led her through the room to the entrance.

"Jason, we could have stayed and eaten instead of just giving them so much money."

"Carly, I don't care about money. Besides, did you take a look at that menu? It would have cost you and I twice that just to eat and if you had a glass of wine and I ordered a beer, I don't even want to know what that would have cost."

"Well, my menu didn't have prices. You know Jase, that's when you know you are in a fancy restaurant. They don't' even tell the date how much you are spending."

"Is that what this is to you Carly? A Date?" he stopped her and turned her to face him worried she was reverting to her old ways of wanting more then their friendship.

"Oh Jason, get over yourself." She slapped him on the chest. "YOU may never get over me but I am DEFINITELY over little old you."

"Little huh?" he smiled then turned them both and strode out the door. Once outside he shrugged the jacket off and threw it where it landed right over top of the sign that read

_Dinner jacket is required for gentlemen (tie optional) and dress or pants ensemble for ladies_

**Pleasure Island**

"**CARLY, THIS IS NO FUN AND THERE ARE NO POOL TABLES AROUND HERE. I AM NOT DANCING WITH YOU UNLESS YOU WIN THE POOL GAME SO YOU NEED TO GET OVER IT AND LET'S GO"**

Jason had no choice but to shout over the offensive dance music while Carly whirled and twirled using his arm as something to hold on to and help keep her upright when she lost her balance. She had some huge fruity drink in her hand and could not stop moving.

Jason's patience was not running thin any more. It had broken about ten minutes back when some horribly smelly girl who was sweating profusely bumped into him and then tried to grind on his leg. When he gently pushed her away from him, she became upset and stomped on his foot with her inch thick heel. His foot had been throbbing ever since.

"**CARLY, I'M LEAVING, WITH OR WITHOUT YOU.**"

Without bravado, he yanked his hand from hers and turned to stalk out the door. She grabbed the back of his pants by the belt and he dragged her through Mannequins stopping only when they reached the street. Since it was only around seven, it wasn't too crowded so Jason slowed down and pulled Carly under his arm.

"You know, only for you do I put up with this shit." He laughed as he kissed the top of her head and tugged her body into his.

Letting her head fall back on his muscular arm she sighed, "Thank you Jason. You always know how to make me feel better."

"What are best friends for?" he said as he dropped his arm and headed over to a street vendor. "Do you sell beer?"

"No sir."

"Well, where can we go to find two beers and a pool table?" Jason then asked the short pudgy man with the Barbershop Quartet hat and vest over his black shirt and pants.

"Inside the Disney Property or what?" the man asked.

"Inside" Carly interjected.

"Well, there is a small bar at the Contemporary Hotel. They only have one pool table but usually on a night like tonight, people are on their way here so you'll probably get to use it." The man responded.

"Thanks" Jason smiled and tossed a ten dollar bill onto the mans countertop.

"THANK YOU, SIR! THANK YOU!"

"No sweat. Enjoy your night." Jason said and headed off in the direction of the tram pulling Carly along by her hand as she blindly followed while looking around at all the different bits of scenery that Pleasure Island had to offer.

"Jason?" Carly asked as they stepped on the platform.

"Yeah" Jason responded looking back at her.

"You know when I win the game of pool we are coming back here. And I think I'll up the ante. If I win two in a row, you not only have to dance with me but you also have to dance with that sweaty stinky girl that stomped on your foot."

With that Carly let out a hoot and giggled until Jason finally gave in and laughed with her.

XXXXXXXXX

There was no name to this bar. It was more like a large closet. There were eight stools at the bar and two small tables that would uncomfortably seat four but there was a small pool table in the back and no one but the bartender in sight.

"Perfect" was sighed from both of their lips as they walked in.

Carly immediately headed over to the pool table as Jason walked up to the bartender and ordered two of whatever was the coldest.

Once he got the beers and paid for them slapping down a hundred dollar bill and telling the bartender to tell him when they had drank that up, he headed over to the table that was already racked.

"You want to break?" Jason asked knowing she would say yes.

"Of course, that may be my only shot to beat you."

"You're right. It WILL be." He smiled as he lifted the beer bottle to his lips.

He went over to the corner to pick out a cue stick and once he found one that was the right length and weight he headed back to his beer he left on one of the tables. He was just tipping his beer up when he noticed Elizabeth Webber standing at a table across the lobby with a huge picture in her hand and an older, gray haired gentleman listening while another older grey haired woman was turned talking to a group at the table next to them.

For some reason the people looked familiar but he didn't pay them any more attention as he was captivated by the beautiful chocolate hair that curled and cascaded down her back and over her shoulders. She was wearing a simple dark blue dress that accentuated her curves but didn't scream slut. The swell of her breasts just hinted at the scalloped and scooped neckline and the dress was form fitting but loose enough to move easily with her body. The dress ended just above her knees where her skin glowed a creamy alabaster white and ended with simple three inch heels. She had a gold necklace with some kind of pendant on it that he could not make out but it sparkled so he assumed it had some sort of jewel or crystal attached to it.

Her face was lightly dusted with a hint of pink makeup and her lips were crimson red and glossy. She was a classic beauty and he was awestruck.

"Your shot Jase" Carly announced and Jason dropped his gaze from the beauty to the pool table.

He lined up his shot and made the mistake of looking up and catching a glimpse of Elizabeth laughing and tossing her hair back over her shoulders.

"You missed" Carly squealed. Jason groaned but never looked back down at the pool game. Slowly he walked to the edge of the small room and kept watching as he heard shot after shot being made behind him.

He smiled when Elizabeth caught his stare and gave a slight wave with her delicate fingers. He went to lift his hand to wave back when he found himself with an arm full of a screaming Carly.

"I WON! I BEAT YOU!" she yelled as she full body hugged him and kissed his cheek.

Jason closed his eyes for only a moment as he groaned his frustration of what her winning meant. When he opened his eyes, Elizabeth's frown of confusion then disappointment was all he could see. He attempted to shift Carly away from in front of him but she held on tight.

Elizabeth turned her back to him and went back to explaining the painting she held.

"I don't even want to play another game Jase. Let's go back to Mannequins for that dance." Carly said into his neck.

"I…uh" he watched as Elizabeth shook hands with the older couple, gathered her portfolio and her purse and walked away.

Dropping his head in defeat, not only for the pool game but because he knew Elizabeth had misunderstood what she saw he breathed out a long sigh. "Fine, let's go. This night couldn't possibly get any worse."


	3. Chapter 3

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 3

'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten…okay keep a calm, even tone' He thought to himself as he turned to face her.

"Carly, I said no. I am tired of this place. We have danced to three songs which is two more than I owed you. Other men are noticing you so why don't you let me go back to the cabin and you can stay and dance with them." Jason reasoned with her outside of the restrooms where it was quieter and there weren't any flashing, moving or blinding lights.

"Jason, you can't leave me here alone. I wouldn't be safe." Carly whined.

"Carly, I think it's the men in here that aren't safe from you. You have your gun I bought you for Christmas in your purse and you know how to use it as well as all the self defense techniques I have taught you over the years. Call me if there's trouble but there shouldn't be. Christ, it's Disney World. At worst you might get attacked by Donald Duck." He laughed at the stupidity of Carly boxing a duck. "I think you can take him."

Jason's patience was running out. An hour and a half later and the headache was taking definite shape behind his eyes from where it started at the little bar at the Contemporary Hotel. 'Mannequins. Who comes up with a stupid name like that? Why didn't they just call it Loud and Crowded because that's what this place is?' He thought. Jason placed his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose and rubbed at the painful pulsing sensation that matched time with the boom of the music.

"Fine, I guess I'll just leave with you. There's no one here that looks even remotely in my league anyway." Carly pouted and suddenly the headache got worse.

"Look, why don't you stay. I am just going to go take a walk outside to clear my head and then I'll come back to get you. Maybe we can go get the boys and let Letecia have the night off."

"Letecia is taking the boys to the parade tonight. They are looking forward to it."

Suddenly Jason remembered the conversation, well empty threat is more like it, that Elizabeth had with Cameron.

_Cameron Alexander Webber! If you don't get your little behind over here NOW we are NOT going to the parade tonight._

"I'll take the boys to the parade and you and Letecia can go out dancing. My treat." Jason decided he'd try his luck running into Elizabeth and Cameron while getting away from Carly and spending time with his nephews. A perfect plan as far as he was concerned.

"Well, are you sure? _YOU_ are going to take the boys to the parade?"

"Sure, why not? We'll have fun. Guy time and all that. Just tell me where it is and what time and I'll take them. Meanwhile, here" he handed her a credit card "You and Letecia have fun on me."

"If you say so, just tell Letecia I'm here. She probably won't come anyway. Oh well her loss. I don't need to go back to the cabin with you, I'm fine here by myself." Carly said with a suspicious look on her face but then a smile as she snatched the credit card from Jason's hand.

"Carly" he warned "Stay out of trouble. Do you hear me?"

"Why I have no idea what you mean." Carly responded, batting her eyes and putting her hands to her chest in a display of innocence.

Jason just rolled his eyes, turned and walked off shaking his head. No matter how infuriating, greedy, selfish, stubborn or childish Carly behaved…she always made him smile. He just loved her and it was unconditional. Sonny may be his mentor but Carly…she was, without a doubt, his best friend.

She was crazy but ever since she finally stopped trying to have sex with him all those years ago, she was good crazy. Fun crazy. Sometimes dangerous crazy but never more than he could get her out of. She was laugh till you cried crazy. Beer and pool at Jakes while wearing a fur coat crazy. Sing Karaoke in the living room with a hairbrush crazy. Pose as a hooker to get information for Jason that he didn't ask for crazy.

Convince him that in order to recuperate from a stab wound he should take her and the boys on a week long vacation to Disney World crazy. Okay, maybe that last one meant he was crazy.

Jason tried to shake the thoughts of all the times Carly and her crazy schemes caused him to do something he would never normally do. There was the time he crawled through a sewer to find her engagement ring to Sonny, only to find out after trudging on his belly through human waste for a half hour that she had remembered she left it on the kitchen window sill. Then there was the time they chased the monkey through the jungle to find the antidote to a virus plaguing Port Charles and she injected herself with the illness. Thank God he found the antidote in time. She really scared him with that one.

"You know, I would do anything for her." He said to himself as he stepped on to the tram to take him back to their three bedroom cabin he rented at Fort Wilderness.

As a special treat to Letecia, he rented her a room at The Polynesian so that she could get away from the boys and also allow her boyfriend, Reginald Jennings, to stay with her. After all, she deserved a vacation too. A break not only from the boys but from Carly. And surely Reginald needed a week away from the Quartermaines.

Looking at his watch, he realized he would not make the parade if he had to go all the way back to the cabin. He pulled his cell phone out and dialed.

"Letecia? Hey, it's Jason. How would you like the night off?...Good. Where are you and the boys right now?...Perfect. Wait there and I'll see you in a minute. I'll take the boys off your hands and you can go dancing with Carly or you and Reginald can go do something else. It's up to you. NO I didn't tell Carly that Reginald is here. I would never do that to you…Well just call her and say you are tired and turning in early instead of going dancing. It wouldn't be a lie necessarily as much as not the whole truth…Okay I'll figure out how to get over there and see you in a few minutes."

Jason hung up the phone and leaned over to the driver of the tram cars. "Hey, how do I get to the entrance to the Magic Kingdom from here? I need to meet my nephews over there in ten minutes."

"Well sir, actually I could drive you over there since I need to re-fuel the tram but I am not supposed to allow passengers through the back streets. The only other group of passengers on here are getting off at this next stop so you would be the only one on the tram until Fort Wilderness. I was going to re-fuel after dropping you off to start the parking lot tour. This place starts to empty around nine and I'll be running in circles till after midnight. If you can promise not to get me in trouble, I'll drop you off just outside the entrance. All you'll have to do is walk through a gate and you'll be on the side where guests are allowed at the entrance."

"Sounds good to me and trust me. I would certainly not get you in trouble for doing me this favor."

They rode the rest of the way in silence and Jason tipped the man for his help and walked through the gate the driver pointed to and pulled out his cell phone. Looking down to dial the number, he never noticed that Elizabeth and Cameron walked right by him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Cameron saw the man who kissed his Mommy on the lips standing in front of the turnstile to get into the Magic Kingdom. He tugged on his mothers arm to point Jason out to her but she didn't notice and then when he did get her attention he could no longer see Jason so he asked for a balloon instead.

Elizabeth complied since this would be their last day there. Once she paid for the overpriced balloon they walked down Main Street to find a good spot to watch the parade.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jason met up with Letecia and the boys and she thanked him for giving her the night off. She had called Reginald and they were going to take a boat ride around the lagoon and then have a late dinner in their room. Jason knew Reginald intended to ask Letecia to marry him and Jason wondered if tonight might actually be the night he proposed.

Once he and the boys were inside the park and headed down Main Street, Jason realized how stupid he had been to think that he would be able to find Elizabeth in this crowd. He wondered if he would ever be able to see her and explain that the girl she saw hugging him was his best friend and NOT his girlfriend. Then again, would she even care? It's not like she made any attempt after he kissed her to lead him to believe she wanted to see him again. In fact she ran from him which should be his first clue that she didn't.

However, something about the way she commented on their kiss and then how her eyes lit up when she first saw him in that bar told him that _maybe_ she wouldn't mind seeing him again. He KNEW he wanted to see her again. She had not left his thoughts since he first saw her at the pool.

'I wonder if she took that job?' he asked himself. No matter where she was, be it moving to a new town with the new job or back in Colorado, he would gladly travel, and often, if given the chance to get to know her.

"Uncle Jason, can Morgan and I get ears with our names on them?" Michael asked.

"Ears?" Jason's scrunched up face told Michael that he had not been paying attention at all during their vacation.

"Yeah, like those." Michael said as he pointed to a girl in front of them with a pair of mouse ears on her head.

"I don't care but where would we find something like that?" Jason replied.

"Right there Uncle Jason" Morgan piped up pointing to a store on Main Street across from them.

Jason and the boys crossed the street never noticing Elizabeth and Cameron walking out of the ice cream parlor they had just been standing in front of the door to. They went into the 'Ear' store and purchased ears with names etched in them for Michael, Morgan, Kristina, Carly, Letecia, Spencer, Emily, Lila and even Sonny. The boys begged Jason to get some for himself but he adamantly refused. He was NOT wearing anything remotely like what the two boys currently had perched on top of their heads.

Looking at his watch, he knew they had twenty more minutes before the parade was to start. "Where do you boys want to watch the parade from?"

"There's an open part of the sidewalk right there. Let's sit there." Michael offered as he pointed up the street a few yards.

"Sit on the sidewalk?" Jason asked turning his nose up at the garbage and germs that must be there.

"Sure Uncle Jason" Michael responded.

"Okay, if you say so." Jason responded walking along as Morgan dragged him by the arm.

Once they got to the open spot, Jason could not believe his eyes. Standing there attempting to capture the same empty area was Elizabeth and Cameron Webber. Silently sending a prayer of Thank you's to the Heavens, Jason looked down and smiled.

"Hello again" he said in his sexy baritone voice.

"Oh, hi" she responded slightly colder than intended but still conveying the message.

"Jason, I saw you out there" Cameron pointed "I tried to tell Mommy you were here but she didn't listen." The boy finished shaking his head right to left.

"Well, I am glad I ran in to you two." Feeling Morgan pulling on his hand as he peeked out from the side of Jason's pants, he looked down and smiled "Um, Morgan, Michael…this is Elizabeth and Cameron Webber. I met them at the pool today while you and your Mom and Letecia were here. Cameron, Elizabeth…these are my NEPHEWS Michael and Morgan Corinthos."

A smile bloomed across Elizabeth's face but then quickly disappeared. "Letecia?" she asked cautiously.

"Their nanny. I hired her when Michael was a baby. Carly, MY BEST FRIEND, was unable to care for him when he was first born so I hired Letecia to help me." He answered quickly.

"So who was the woman I saw you with at the Contemporary? Your girlfriend?" she asked wondering who the leggy blonde that draped herself all over him was. And if she was his girlfriend, then why had he kissed her until her knees went weak at the pool earlier today. He sure didn't seem like the kind of cad that would do something like that if he were involved with someone else.

"Uncle Jason? Since when did you have a girlfriend? I never knew you with anyone except Aunt Courtney and you two got divorced a long time ago." Michael asked turning his attention back away from the woman and child he had just been introduced to and toward his Uncle.

The boy was a savior. Far beyond his twelve years. He explained perfectly and Jason could see the relief wash over Elizabeth's face as soon as she heard the pre-teen elaborate. Jason smiled and keeping his eyes on Elizabeth he said, "I don't have a girlfriend Michael and you are right, I haven't dated anyone since your Aunt Courtney and I got divorced TWO years ago."

"Oh" was her only response. Then the smile that he felt down to his toes came back out beaming like a beacon in the night.

"Mommy, can I have a hat like they have?" Cameron asked and before she could respond Jason jumped into action.

Picking up the little boy he said, "Do you know how to spell your name?"

"Yes C-A-M"

"Cam? I don't think that's all of the letters buddy." Jason said puzzled and looking over to Elizabeth.

"I call him Cam for short. Really all of us do, his teachers at pre-school, my Grams, my brother Steven. I just never taught him to spell the rest of his name yet but we are working on it aren't we Cam?" she said as she tickled his stomach eliciting a bout of giggles.

"Then Cam it is. I'll be right back. Will you keep an eye on Michael and Morgan? Oh, and don't sit down anyone. I want to find something for you to sit on instead of this dirty ground."

Dropping the boy down to the ground and seeing that Elizabeth nodded affirmative to his request to keep an eye on his nephews he turned on his heel and headed back toward the store that sold the hats. While inside, he made his request and then moved over to the General Store next door and bought two Disney blankets. When he returned to the hat store the man had just completed his order and as he walked out the door he heard the sound come through the speakers announcing the start of the parade.

Once he got back to the group, Jason pulled the two blankets from the one bag and he and Michael spread it out over the curb. Then he pulled the hat with the ears attached that said CAM on the back of it. The little boy thanked him and Jason gave him a smile and a wink.

"Let's sit down. Morgan can sit on my lap and Michael and Cameron can sit beside us so we all should fit." Jason suggested and they all moved to sit down. Michel went to sit between Jason and Elizabeth and Jason grabbed the boys arm and pulled him to his other side. Michael gave him a puzzled look that lasted mere seconds before the bloom of an 'aha' crossed his face and the red haired boys cheeks instantly became equally as red as his hair.

Once they were all settled on the curbside, Jason reached back into the bag and pulled out a pink hat with ears and a red with white polka dot bow that said ELIZABETH on the back. He plopped it on top of her head and she smiled at him. They watched the parade in silence as the boys became animated with each character that walked or rode by.

Feeling at ease, Jason slowly slipped his arm around Cameron and pulled him onto his lap along side Morgan then grabbed Elizabeth with his free arm around the waist and tugged her closer. She looked over at him and he gave her a wink. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

'This is the most magical place on earth, and I pray the magic never ends.' Jason thought as she watched the parade go by and he watched her.


	4. Chapter 4

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 4

"Hey, that's mine!" Morgan yelled.

"So" Cameron shot right back.

"Cameron Alexander you give that toy motorcycle back to Morgan right now and say you're sorry." Elizabeth said through gritted teeth in a stern voice that had dropped at least two octaves.

"NO" Cameron shot back and then jumped off of Jason's lap.

"CAMERON" Elizabeth shouted as her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Hey Cam?" Jason slowly stood placing a pouting Morgan on his feet and walking to the street where the young curly headed child was. "Do you know why Morgan wants that toy back so badly?"

"No" Cameron almost whispered lowering his head in shame but keeping his eyes on the man walking steadily toward him.

"That is the first present I ever gave him. That and a leather jacket to match the one I usually wear. You see Morgan here is my Godson and was named after me."

"Nuh-uh, your name is Jason." The little boy reasoned.

"Yes, my name is Jason Morgan. Morgan is my last name and Jason is my first name. Morgan is his first name and Corinthos is his last name. You see how that worked?"

"Oh" the little boy said still firmly gripping the toy motorcycle.

"Now, I would really appreciate it if you would give Morgan his favorite toy back. I am sure you wouldn't want someone taking your favorite toy, would you?" Jason used calm reasoning. He didn't baby talk and he didn't yell. He kept steady in his steps toward Cameron and his continual talking reassured the little boy.

"My favorite toy is a Chuggin Charlie train." Cameron offered with a glint in his eye.

"Chuggin Charlie is cool man. I used to watch the cartoon before I became an adult." Michael said as he stood from the curbside. "Morgan has all my old books and toys of Chuggin Charlie."

Cameron walked over to Morgan and dropped his head to his chest. The two boys were the same height and to Elizabeth looked to be the same age. Jason and Michael were standing to each side of them and Elizabeth was still seated on the blankets watching the drama play out.

Cameron had really been growing more anxious and more difficult the closer she came to landing the job but now that she had been offered the job and the reality of moving was setting in to her little boy, the more he acted out because of it. She had continually tried to reassure him but now even she was starting to wonder if her dream job was worth breaking her little boy's heart. Moving across country sounded wonderful to Elizabeth but not if it destroyed her son in the process.

"Here, sorry" Cameron said as he shoved the toy motorcycle into Morgan's chest.

Being the well mannered child that Jason, Sonny and Carly had raised him to be, Morgan responded. "Thanks, I have another one at the cabin. Maybe we can get that one and we both can play motorcycles."

"Can we Mommy? Please?" Cameron said excitedly as he turned to his mother.

"Cam, I'm sorry but we are leaving tomorrow. We won't have time but I appreciate you being such a big boy and giving the toy back and apologizing."

Cameron's smile dropped to a frown. So did Jason's. He was excited that the boy responded to his easy convincing but when she said they were leaving, his breath left his body.

He hadn't felt this way in quite some time. He had that sinking feeling just like the day Robin came to his hospital room and told him she was leaving for Paris. That day devastated him and now, he was feeling that same despair for a woman he had only known for twelve hours.

Jason shoved his hands into his navy blue pants pocket. He snarled at the feel of the fine linen. He preferred the rough feeling of denim. He lifted his gaze from his Italian loafers, which were killing him, to Elizabeth's face. She looked how he felt. Sad.

"Uncle Jason, are we ever going to leave? The street sweeper is coming down the road." Michael asked pulling everyone's attention from their deep thoughts to his question.

"Yes Michael. I just didn't want to leave with that huge crowd. I would hate for one of you boys to get away from us."

"You'd find us. You always do." He reasoned and then snapped his mouth shut when he noticed the unspoken lethal warning that was shot his way.

Naïve of the dangerous meaning of Michael's words, Elizabeth stood up and bent down to pick up one of the blankets to fold. She let out a long sigh and Jason moved to her side taking the blanket from her hand.

"Michael and I can do that." Jason said giving her a slight smile.

She gave the same half smile back knowing that there was no reason for her to still be hanging around. She looked at her feet then at her son. Grasping his hand that had the balloon tied to it she said, "Well, thank you for…well…everything. It was really nice meeting you guys. And thank you for the ears" She reached up and touched the ones on her head then rolled her eyes and pulled them off. "You guys have fun on the rest of your vacation. Cameron and I really enjoyed watching the parade with you."

Jason and Michael were folding up the two blankets and Jason cringed as she took her first step away. He didn't know what to say to her but he didn't want the night to end. How do you tell someone you don't know that you can't stand the thought of her walking away from you? How do you say to a woman you just met that you feel empty and cold now that your arms aren't around her and her son?

She walked away and told herself not to look back. One thing her older sister Sarah had taught her growing up was that if it's meant to be, he wouldn't let you walk away. She had always been right in that theory before, she just hoped she wasn't disappointed this time.

Jason stared after her, dropping the blanket allowing it to unfold again. Michael looked over at him and shook his head. He looked worse than he did when Aunt Courtney left. He loved his Uncle and respected him in every way but he had no clue why his Uncle Jason was just letting them walk away.

Elizabeth walked noticing that even Cameron was silent. Of course he was probably tired since it had been a busy day and it was past his bedtime but he also looked a bit sad. She sighed and thought to herself. 'If I get to ten then it wasn't meant to be. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, t"

"**Miss Webber? WAIT**!" Michael shouted.

"Did I forget something?" she said as she turned around. Her heart skipped a beat but disappointment still set in. It wasn't Jason that called after her. It was the twelve year old so she must have simply left something behind.

"Uh, no Ma'am" He looked over at his Uncle and rolled his eyes at the hopeful look and yet oddly dumb face his Uncle was making. He turned back to the street where Elizabeth and Cameron were starting to walk back to them. "Well, My Uncle Jason always says we shouldn't let ladies walk alone. It's dangerous."

Picking up on Michaels cue Jason quickly added, "Yes, let us make sure you get back to your hotel. I would feel better knowing that you got to your room safely."

Before Elizabeth got too close, Jason gave his nephew a wink which caused the twelve year old to shine a big grin and shake his head again. Jason looked back up to see Elizabeth had stopped.

"Oh, that's really kind of you guys but I think we are safe here. Thanks for the offer but we wouldn't want to trouble you." She slowly pivoted on her heel away from them.

Realizing this was his only chance, Jason quickly rolled the blanket and grabbed Morgan's arm. He practically dragged the tired little boy the twenty yards to reach Elizabeth and Cameron and Michael had to jog to catch up.

As soon as Jason caught up to Elizabeth and Cameron he took a deep breath "Really, it's no trouble. I insist. You wouldn't want me to lose sleep over worrying that someone like Captain Hook had grabbed you two and took you to Never Never Land, would you?"

"Captain Hook?" Morgan said as he looked around and then clung on to Jason's pant leg.

"Yeah, Captain Hook from Peter Pan. Don't you remember him from the Parade?" Cameron said. "He had that big sword and the alligator was going to eat him."

Elizabeth laughed softly and looked down at her little boy then combed her fingers through his curly chocolate locks that hung out behind the little hat on his head. When Jason reached down and picked up Morgan, he kissed the top of his head and rubbed circles on his back while Michael took the second blanket from under his uncle's arm.

"Morgan's not big on scary stuff, are you Morgan?" Jason said explaining his nephew's instant frown and sudden clinginess.

"Uhn-uh" he murmured as he rubbed his eyes and laid his head down on Jason's shoulder.

"Aww, sweetie, I'm sorry if Cameron scared you. Captain Hook is just pretend. He's not real." Elizabeth said as she dropped Cameron's hand and touched Morgan's knee.

"So will you let us walk you back to your hotel? Or will we have to just follow you?" Jason said with a chuckle.

"Well…I wouldn't want you to teach these boys the fine art of stalking so, I guess it would be okay but we'll have to ride the monorail. I am staying at the Floridian." She said with a smile that lit up the night.

"Oh, I thought…well, I guess I assumed you were staying at the Contemporary since I saw you there today. Was that the meeting you were talking about at the pool?" Jason asked, shifting Morgan in his arms so that his free arm was on the side that Elizabeth was walking.

"Yes, that was my meeting. I was offered the job and actually Cam and I were staying at a hotel on Independence Drive. The hotels here on Disney property are expensive. However, my new boss' wife wasn't feeling well so they were leaving to go home right after our meeting and he let us use his room at the Floridian. It's paid through the next three days."

"I thought I heard you tell Cameron that you were leaving tomorrow." Jason asked, suddenly hopeful that he had misunderstood.

"Yes, we're leaving tomorrow. I would love to stay but our plane tickets are for tomorrow. Even with the new job, I can't just blow money on…"

Cameron interrupted her, "Mommy, I'm tired. Will you carry me?"

"Cameron, it is very rude to interrupt Mommy." She looked up at Jason. "Sorry about that." Then looked back down at her little boy and stopped. "Okay but you are getting to be too big to carry buster. You are almost the size of Mommy."

She picked him up and he immediately moved into the same position in her arms as Morgan was in Jason's. Jason noticed her struggle and stopped.

"Which one of you wants to ride on my shoulders and which one wants to be carried in my arms?"

"Arms" Morgan said with a yawn.

"Alright Cameron, looks like you get to ride on my shoulders." Jason announced.

"What? Jason, you can't carry both of the boys. I'm fine carrying Cam. Really I am." Elizabeth appealed knowing that her son was going to want to ride on his shoulders anyway.

"Mommy, I WANT to ride on Jason's shoulders, please." Cameron whined. He was tired and could barely lift his head from her shoulder to make is plea.

"Yeah _Mommy_, besides didn't I show both of you how strong I am at the pool?" Jason smirked, setting a slightly whimpering Morgan down and reaching over to lift Cameron up on his shoulders.

Rolling her eyes, she handed off her son, "Whatever."

"Alright Cameron, in order to carry you both, you have to promise you'll keep your feet tucked under my arms so that you don't kick Morgan. Can you promise that?" Jason said as he tucked the boy's shoes under his arms and bent to lift Morgan back up onto his chest.

"I promise Jason. I won't kick Morgan."

"Good, alright Morgan, you can lay your head back down buddy. We'll be back at the cabin soon. I know you have to be pretty tired."

They walked out of the entrance and on the ramp to the monorail.

"Uncle Jason, when we leave the Floridian can we ride back to Fort Wilderness on the boats? Does the Floridian have a boat launch?" Michael asked leaning over the rail and watching the last stragglers getting on the boat down below.

"I don't know Michael. I don't think the monorail goes to Fort Wilderness though does it?" Jason asked.

Michael pulled out his guide and started looking.

"Mommy, can I ride on the boat with them?" Cameron asked as he held on to Jason's ears continually tightening his feet under Jason's arm. Cameron didn't want to break his promise.

"Honey, we'll already be back at our hotel room. Remember, Jason and Michael are taking us back to make sure we get to our room safe."

"Please Mommy" Cameron jutted his lower lip out hoping that helped convince his mother to let him ride on the boat.

"You know Uncle Jason, we could always take the boat instead of the monorail over to the Floridian." Michael smiled looking up at his favorite uncle knowing Jason would say yes. He rarely tells he and Morgan no and with as hard as he's trying with Elizabeth, he doubted he'd tell her son no either. He laughed slightly watching his uncle with sixty pounds of boys in his arms and on his shoulders. 'What a schmuck' he thought.

"We can? Great idea Michael. How does that sound Cameron? We'll just walk back down to the boat and ride over to your hotel room." Jason looked at Elizabeth and frowned when he watched her cross her arms over her chest and shake her head no.

"What? Is that not a good idea?" he winced.

"No but never saying 'no' to a child isn't healthy." She said dropping her arms back down and reaching up to rub Morgan's back. "besides, I think this one's asleep so maybe you should skip the Prince Charming routine and go your separate way. I am sure his mother would want him home in bed."

"Carly probably isn't even home. She went to Pleasure Island tonight to go dancing." Jason responded. "Besides, he's already asleep. What will it matter if we ride to the Floridian and then over to Fort Wilderness?"

"You have a point. I just…I feel like I have put you out all day long. First you have to go into the pool after Cam then you give up your spot well…at least share it, for the parade. Now you are carrying my son AND your Godson and taking us back to our hotel. Not to mention the fact that you bought blankets that you obviously weren't planning to buy until you saw that I was going to sit down on the ground and bought us these hats" she held up hers and Cameron's mouse ears that he had handed her once her went into Jason's arms.

"Hey" he reached out his hand and touched her shoulder turning her to face him. "I don't do anything I don't _want_ to do. Besides, I have enjoyed being your Prince Charming today."

Laughing Michal chimed in, "Hey, Uncle Jason…if you are Prince Charming then would Miss Elizabeth be Cinderella or Snow White?"

"I don't know Michael, what do you think?" Jason chimed in. He loved the easy rapport he had with Michael and it seemed to keep getting better as the boy got older.

Looking up and noticing the easy smile growing on his Uncles face and then the interested look on both Cameron's and Elizabeth's he figured he could kill two birds with one stone on his next statement. He could easily embarrass his uncle, which is ALWAYS fun, and he could get them past this awkward stage so that whatever is going to happen could happen and soon so he could get back to the cabin and play his new Disney video game his mother bought him.

"Well, let's see if I remember my fairy tales that Mom read me….hmmm….Okay, if she is Cinderella, then you have to dance with her at a ball. And we KNOW you hate to dance which is probably why you offered to give Letecia the night off and bring us to the parade. Then you have to hunt Cinderella down all over town smelling and touching ugly women's feet until you find her to give her back her shoe that she loses. BUT, if she's Snow White…" A huge grin crosses his lips and he wrings his hands in front of him "You get to kiss her. The only downside to that is that you have to wait until she's asleep so your kiss can break the sleeping spell."

"He already did that!" Cameron said excitedly, glad he could add to the bedtime story.

Jason and Elizabeth caught each others eyes and Jason smiled, "Yeah but I choose Snow White anyway."

"Ewww Mommy, he wants to kiss you again." Cameron squealed.

Elizabeth turned beet red but never let her eyes wander from Jason's dreamy gaze.

"YES I do." Jason said and gave her a wink.


	5. Chapter 5

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 5

"Well we better go if we're going to catch that boat." Michael urged. He had accomplished the first part of his goal, now he just needed to get them moving so he would be that much closer to getting to his final destination. Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest for Nintendo DS

"Is that okay with you Snow White?" Jason adjusted Morgan in his arms as he turned to walk back down the ramp. He jutted his arm out for her to take.

"That will be lovely Prince Charming" Elizabeth responded putting her hand in the crook of his arm.

Michael watched the two, well four of them walking down the ramp and laughed. 'Thank God I have my Dad to learn from cause Uncle Jason is a doofus' he thought to himself.

Just as they were half way between the monorail and the boat launch, the ferry boat left the dock. Michael ran to try to catch it but the Disney attendant standing at the gate stopped him.

"Is there another boat coming back?" he asked the attendant.

"No, that was the last ferry for the night. The monorail will continue to run until the park security assures us that all visitors are gone from the Magic Kingdom.

Jason and Elizabeth were walking up and heard the last part. "Is there a smaller boat that could come get us?"

"Well Sir, we do have midnight tours that we run from the Floridian. Would you be interested in something like that?"

"Yes, I would. Tell me about it."

"Well, the boat will seat six to ten comfortably. It travels around the lagoon. You can pay for the ride by the half hour and they run until 2am."

"Can we call them to pick us up over here?" Jason asked, definitely interested in a boat ride that could give them privacy to talk with a little bit of a romantic atmosphere, even if they had the kids with them.

"I could call right now. My brother runs one of the boats. I'll see if he has any passengers. If not, he could come right away."

"Thank you. I would appreciate that. Tell him there will be a nice tip for whoever gives us a ride." Jason shifted Morgan again to reach into his pants pocket and pull out his money clip. It was places like this that he was glad he always carried plenty of cash.

He handed the launch attendant a hundred dollar bill for his troubles once the boat arrived and the two brothers helped everyone on the boat. The driver, Dean, pulled Morgan from Jason's arms and set him down on a bench and then Jason lifted up a drooping Cameron off his shoulder and placed him on the bench next to Morgan. Elizabeth put life vests on both boys and then laid Morgan down since he had not even hinted that he would wake up since falling asleep in his uncle's arms earlier.

Dean then handed three life vests to Michael, Elizabeth and Jason and when Jason noticed the horrified look on Michael's face he asked the boat pilot, "Do we have to wear these?"

"It's Disney policy." Dean responded.

"Well, what if I had a big enough tip to persuade you to break policy this once." He again pulled out his money clip and counted off five one hundred dollar bills.

"I could certainly be persuaded sir but I do insist the kids wear them." Dean said sticking his hand out to stow the life jackets back in their cubby's.

"The two little ones but Michael is an excellent swimmer. He doesn't need one." Realizing he doesn't know if Elizabeth can swim he turned to her, "Can you swim? Or would you prefer to wear the life vest?"

"No I can swim. I'll be fine until we get to the hotel." She said as he brushed her hand over Morgan's arm. "Can I have one of the blankets Michael?"

Michael handed one over and she spread it out over both little boys. "Cameron, you have to promise Mommy that you will not stand up. You'll be able to see everything from where you are sitting but Mommy will be very upset if you move around because you could fall in the water or get hurt while the boat is moving."

"Okay Mommy, I promise to be good." He smiled and snuggled under the blanket so that just his little brown eyes were sticking out.

"Michael, will you sit next to Cameron to make sure nothing happens. Elizabeth and I are going to sit back there." He pointed to the bench that was behind the driver instead of the bench at the front of the boat across from the children.

Michael gave a nod of his head and sat down. He pulled Cameron into his lap so that he could be under the covers with them. The air, even in April, was quite cool on the water at night. Jason smiled then wrapped his arm around Elizabeth and steered her past Dean to the seat behind him.

"Are you cold? Do you want the other blanket?" Jason asked of her once they sat down.

"No, this sweater is pretty warm." She smiled back at him. She was getting nervous butterflies in her stomach and was quite puzzled at the way Jason was throwing around money so that he could continue spending time with her. She figured he had a good job to be able to stay at the Fort Wilderness cabins and to have hired a nanny for Michael and Morgan but to shell out six hundred dollars just to take a boat ride instead of the monorail was extravagant.

"So where to Sir" Dean asked.

"Take us for a ride around the lake. And take your time." Jason answered.

Michael gave out a loud groan of disapproval and Jason shot him a stern look. "Is something wrong Michael?"

"No, I was just hoping to get to play some of my new video game tonight." The preteen responded trying not to sound too disappointed. He loved his Uncle Jason and if hanging out and missing his video game was going to make his uncle happy, then so be it.

Dean spoke up. "Well, I have a PSP if you want to play that. I keep it for when the boats are slow and I don't have any passengers. It's got Mortal Combat and Star Wars Battlefront Two. Would you like to play that?"

"SURE. Can I Uncle Jason?" Michael asked hopping up and putting Cameron down in the seat.

"Well, if Dean is okay with it but be careful with it. He probably wouldn't like it if you broke it or it fell in the water or something." Jason responded leaning back and putting his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder pulling her into his chest.

"I promise I won't. Thank you" Michael said to Dean as Dean pulled the video game and an extra game cartridge from his pocket. Once Michael sat down, he pulled Cameron back into his lap and reached around the little boy so that Cameron could see the game as well. Cameron let out a big yawn and pulled the covers back up as much as he could with Michael's arms in the way.

Elizabeth looked up at Jason. "You are really good with kids." She said flipping her hands in her lap and twisting her fingers together.

"I wasn't always. When Michael was born, I had no idea what I was doing. Carly had Post Partum Depression and I was alone with Michael from the time he was born until two months later. But Michael and Morgan are easy. At least for me. They make it easy."

"But you are really good with Cam too."

"Eh, I think kids want to be good and get positive attention and it's up to the adults to channel their energy in a positive way. Sure, things bother kids and they react just like adults do but the adults are the ones that can make it better or worse for the child. I just choose not to get angry. It seems to work most of the time."

"Cameron has been so difficult since finding out we are moving. I am seriously considering turning down the job. I don't know if following my dream is worth tearing apart his happy childhood."

"Why, what is the job? How would it make his life unhappy?" Jason shifted so that he could get a better look at her. She was more beautiful in simple blue jeans and a sweater than she was in the stunning dress he had seen her in earlier.

"Well actually, I would be a Curator at a smaller art gallery in New York. I love art and the man I will work for actually has a small studio behind the museum that he said I could paint in. It is the room he uses to restore paintings and he is going to teach me how to do it. He and his wife have owned the gallery for many, many years but his wife has cancer and he has decided that life is too short to spend all of his time there so he is hiring me to run the place."

"So you love art? New York is the perfect place then. Some of the best art galleries in the world are in the city." Jason smiled. Watching her talk about her job made her face light up. Also, he just found out she would only be about two to three hours away from him in Port Charles and with the company jet, about twenty minutes. Perfect to see if they really do have the magic that he is feeling between them or if it's just Disney.

"So what do you do? You must have a good job since money doesn't seem to be a worry for you." She asked trying not sound greedy. With as good looking as he was, she was sure he must get hit on all the time by women only after his money.

"I am a partner in a coffee import business. I also own some properties in the Carribean and in New York. My partner, Sonny Corinthos, and I run our business out of upstate New York. He owns his own island and we own a few casino's on it. I'm also a major stockholder in my family's business but I don't really get along with my family too much. Just my sister and my grandmother. Anyway, money isn't important. At least not to me."

"Spoken like a person who has never been without it. Trust me, when you are raising a child on your own and worry from one day to the next whether you'll make enough to pay your bills, money is important."

"Well, I guess you are right. I did live a time where I didn't have much money. I refused any money from my family and hadn't worked for Sonny too long. I lived in an old abandoned boxcar and then in a room above a bar. It wasn't bad though. Actually, I kind of liked it. That's where I met their mother." He pointed his head toward the kids in the front of the boat. He noticed Michael had laid Cameron down and scooted over to the side. "I think your son is asleep."

"Yeah, I have been watching him. He fell asleep about five minutes ago. Michael and Morgan, you said they are your nephews but how are you related to them? Is your partner Sonny also your brother or something?"

"No, he's a really close friend. He used to be like a father to me but now that I'm older, he's more like a brother. Michael is my blood nephew. His real father is my brother AJ, who has been dead a few years now. Morgan is Sonny and Carly's but he's my Godson and well, I'm like an uncle to him so…"

"I'm sorry about your brother."

"Yeah well…thanks, I guess. I never really cared for him. I have been told we were really close when we were younger but the last few years of his life, I can honestly say I hated him."

"You have been told? You don't remember being close to your brother?"

"No, he got drunk and was driving. I tried to stop him from driving and jumped in the car. Stupid, I know but apparently that's how much I cared about him. Anyway, he hit a tree and I ended up with permanent brain damage because of it. When I woke up in the hospital I couldn't remember any part of my life. I never got my memory back which is pretty much why my family and I don't get along. They wanted me to be someone I didn't even know. It was just…frustrating so I left and found a new family with Sonny and Robin at first and then Carly and Michael. They are more of a family to me than my blood relatives. Except Emily and Lila."

"Wow. And here I thought I had it rough. You sure have been through a lot. When you say brain damage, what do you mean? I mean, you don't seem like there's anything wrong with you." Elizabeth leaned back to look him in the eyes.

"Physically there isn't anything wrong with me. Mentally, I don't process things like a normal person does. I don't see shades of gray. I only see things in black or white." He chuckled. "When I first got out of the hospital, Robin had to teach me things like saying hello or goodbye instead of just hanging up or walking away from someone. I'm not retarded or stupid, I just don't think like other people. I can memorize things but I can't read a map. Things like that."

There was a long silence and Jason finally broke it. "I don't really want to talk about that though." He looked deep into Elizabeth's sapphire blue eyes. The moonlight was playing a flickering dance in them that made his heart melt. "I don't want tonight to be the last time I see you or talk to you. Do you have to leave tomorrow?"

Elizabeth sat up nervously wringing her hands. "Jason, I know you probably don't understand this but I really cannot afford to stay. I…I think you are a nice guy but…"

"Nice? Isn't that the kiss of death? I mean…nice?" he asked as he pulled his arms from around her.

Dean overheard, turned around and saw the space growing between them. For some reason, to him they looked like the perfect couple and for five hundred dollars, the guy obviously thought so too. Deciding to see if he couldn't bridge the gap between the couple he took a rather sharp turn with the boat effectively causing Elizabeth's body to crash up into Jason's. When Dean looked back around, he saw that Elizabeth was now back in Jason's arms and even holding on to him.

"Sorry about that." He shouted. "Won't happen again."

Jason never even heard the boat's driver. Elizabeth's hand was splayed out on his chest and her entire upper body was engulfed in his arms. Her eyes were locked on his and he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. Elizabeth returned the kiss and moved her hand from his chest to the back of his neck pulling him closer. Jason shifted her so that he could press her body against his and deepen the kiss. His tongue swept across her full lips and she opened them. He grasped her hair to pull her head back and slid his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues mated in a sensual dance that sent shivers from the top of Elizabeth's ears to the tips of her toes. Her shiver made Jason bolder in his approach and he nipped at her bottom lip before plunging back into her mouth with his tongue.

It wasn't long before both needed air and Jason pulled her back by her shoulders and rested his forehead against hers. "Elizabeth, I don't know what to think about what I'm feeling right now. I don't know about you but…I…I feel a connection. Please don't let tonight be the end. I can't bear the thought of never seeing you again. If I were to offer you and Cameron a ride on the company jet, would you stay longer? My treat for everything we do while we're here. I'd love to take you and Cameron to Animal Kingdom tomorrow. I'm taking Michael and Morgan…" Jason groaned as the sudden thought that Carly planned to come entered his mind.

"I couldn't accept your…your generous offer." She said as she sat up and looked down at her hands.

"Did I offend you? I didn't mean to. I would just really like for you to stay. I mean, if you want to."

"You didn't offend me. And I would really love to stay but…I don't really even know you. I just…" she let out a long breath and looked up at him. "I don't think it's a good idea. It's not like we'll ever see each other again once we leave here and Cameron's too young for me to confuse like that. Besides, I need to get home and get things ready. If I am going to take this job, my boss wants me to start in two weeks. That's not a lot of time to pack, find a place to live temporarily and…"

He cut her off. She didn't want to stay and he couldn't make her. However, it hurt and he really didn't want to hear all the reasons why getting to know him wasn't important. He knew that right now, the way he feels, getting to know her was more important than breathing air but he was not the type man to push a woman and he wasn't going to start now.

"I understand. Dean, we're ready to head over to the Floridian." And with that, Jason leaned back and looked up at the stars.

'Magic my ass. More like a mirage.' He thought as the boat slowly turned and increased in speed.


	6. Chapter 6

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 6

"Please wait here with Michael and Morgan. I'll walk Miss Webber and her son into the hotel and I'll be right back." Jason said to Dean as he wrapped the second blanket around the curly headed little boy then scooped him up into his arms.

The five minute ride over to the dock at the Floridian had been in complete silence and no one had a smile on their face.

Elizabeth stepped up onto the dock with the help of another attendant and Jason followed behind her. They walked in through the side entrance of the hotel and rode the elevator to the second floor. After walking the thirty yards she stopped at her door, slipping her key card in and opening it. She swung the door open and motioned for Jason to set Cameron down on the bed.

Once he had put Cameron down, making sure that the blanket was wrapped tight around him he dropped his hands to his side and involuntarily his chin hit his chest. Taking a deep breath he turned and headed toward the door.

Still standing at the door Elizabeth concentrated on her shoes. He had not spoken a word since he said he understood why she couldn't stay and honestly, she didn't believe he did. He had purposely left the boys on the boat so there was no time for her to explain now. She didn't know WHAT to say to him at all now.

Once Jason was next to her at the door he looked over at her. "Elizabeth, it was really nice to meet you. I had a wonderful time today. Thank you." And he walked out the door.

Looking up she called to him, "Jason?"

He turned around and met her gaze, "Yes"

"Um…" she looked back down at her feet. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell him that his kiss curled her toes. She wanted to tell him that her son had never responded to a man like Cameron responded to him. She wanted to say that being in his arms at the parade and on the boat was the best feeling she had ever experienced in her life. She wanted to say that if she was ever going to believe in love at first sight, it would be now but the words didn't seem to form.

"Elizabeth?" he implored taking a step toward her.

"Um…thank you" she said looking up at him.

He noticed something in her eyes. A sadness. The same sadness he felt. He wanted to pull her into his arms but he was afraid he would never let her go if he did. He dropped his head and whispered, "I didn't do anything."

With that he turned back around and walked down the hall, hit the elevator button and never looked back. As he heard the elevator car stop he heard her door shut at the same time his eyes did. He walked on to the elevator completely drained of any happiness he had felt since he met her. He decided he must have left it with her. Awestruck he realized that she had made him happier today than he had ever felt in his life.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Walking quickly out of the side entrance and toward the docks, Jason noticed Reginald and Letecia were standing on the dock next to the boat that held his nephews.

"Reginald? Letecia? What are you two doing here?" Jason asked as he walked up next to them and extended his hand to shake Reginald's.

"Well, we came back from a boat ride and noticed the boys on this boat alone. Michael said you were walking a woman and her little boy up to their hotel room and we decided we'd wait for you to return."

"Oh, that was thoughtful of you both. How has your night been?" Jason gave Reginald a questioning look.

"Oh, it's been beautiful but uneventful. Do you think Carly would give Letecia tomorrow night off so that Letecia and I could go out to dinner?" Reginald asked with a wink that Letecia could not see.

Smiling for the first time since he kissed Elizabeth, Jason said. "I'll hang out with the boys tomorrow all day. Why don't you consider yourself off duty until noon the day after tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Uncle Jason?" Michael interjected as he now stood next to him. "What happened with you and Elizabeth? Did you convince her to stay longer?"

Even Dean's head turned at that question and everyone seemed interested in Jason's response.

"No" Jason said dropping his head slightly.

"Well did you get her phone number or something?" Michael asked, this time a bit incredulous at his Uncle's lack of persistence.

"Michael…no I didn't. Can you please stop asking me questions about Elizabeth?" Jason said with desperation in his voice.

"What's going on?" Letecia asked and before Jason could stop Michael he let loose with the whole tale as he knew it.

Reginald moved and stood next to Jason. Jason had always been so friendly and always ran interference when it came to Carly so he leaned in and whispered. "Why don't you let Letecia and I take Michael and Morgan back to the cabin. If Carly's not there, we'll stay until she gets there. You…go back upstairs and talk to Elizabeth. I have a feeling you'll be able to talk her into staying or something."

"I doubt she would care. She called me '_nice_'." Jason said wincing at the words leaving his mouth.

"Man, she's probably just as shy and hard to express herself as you are. Go back up to the room. It's only been ten minutes since you came down here. I am sure she's not asleep yet. You'll never know and you'll always wonder if you don't try." Reginald said.

Letecia nodded her head in agreement and Michael piped in his two cents. "Uncle Jason, I didn't work as hard as I did for you to give up now. Jeez, you've known my Dad longer than I have. Haven't you learned anything about women from him? Uncle Jason, you are such a dork!"

Jason contorted his face in astonishment at what his nephew had just said. But realizing they were all right and that it couldn't hurt to try one more time, he turned without saying a word and walked back up the dock to the hotel.

The four of them, Dean included, just watched shaking their heads. Then all eyes turned to Michael.

"Well, he IS!" Michael said and he climbed back onto the boat.

XXXXXXXXXXX

As he walked his pace quickened and his confidence grew. He HAD learned a lot from Sonny. He just hadn't had to use it in a while.

Sonny could smooth talk his way into and out of anything when it came to women. Jason had used those learned powers of persuasion on more than one occasion and been successful every time. Now he just needed to do it again. Even if he just got her phone number or her address or the name of the art gallery she was going to work at. He just needed to smooth talk his way into being able to see her again.

He stood in front of her door and with all the confidence he had just mustered up, he knocked.

He waited a few seconds and knocked again.

When his confidence had completely left and he was turning to leave he heard her.

"Who is it?"

Taking in a deep breath he rested his forearm up against the door jamb and leaned into the door. "It's Jason Morgan. Elizabeth, can I please speak to you?"

She opened the door but the chain was on. 'Good girl' he thought smiling at the safety precaution she had taken even though he knew it would not stop someone his size and strength from getting in.

Once she saw him, she shut the door again and then opened it fully. She was standing in her bare feet with bright red toenails, a long periwinkle blue silk robe and her hair wrapped in a towel. Her face looked freshly scrubbed and her eyes were free of the smokey grayish black eyeshadow she was wearing earlier. She looked GORGEOUS!

"Hi" she said crossing one foot over the other. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't just leave it the way we did. When I got down to the boat, Michael and Morgan's nanny was there and offered to get the boys back to the cabin. I figured that…" he took a deep breath "well…even if I never see you again, maybe we didn't have to end tonight so soon."

"Jason, I don't sleep with"

"I didn't mean THAT!" he cut her off. "I meant maybe we could still talk and…I don't know. Maybe you would give me your phone number or something and I could call you sometimes. I mean…I'm not asking you for anything but maybe…I don't know."

He stopped, he didn't know what to say. 'Shit, Michael was right. I am a dork.' he thought.

"Michael is right about what? You're a what?" she asked leaning her head against the door.

"Did I say that out loud?" he turned ten shades of red and dropped his eyes down to focus on her toes. "I…I'm not very good at saying what I am thinking or feeling when it comes to women. If you were a security issue or a coffee shipment, I would have no problem saying exactly what I am thinking but wanting to tell you that I think you are the most amazing woman I have ever met and I would follow you anywhere in the world if you would just smile at me…Telling you that with you in my arms, I feel complete…I don't exactly know how to say that without looking like…a complete and total…DORK."

Grabbing his arm and pulling him into the hotel room, she smiled. "I think you said it perfectly."


	7. Chapter 7

Counting to Ten

Chapter 7

Jason walked along the path headed to the cabin. It was four in the morning and he was not tired at all. He and Elizabeth had sat on the balcony of her hotel room for almost four hours talking. Finally, their night HAD to come to an end.

Once he finally convinced her to stay one more day and spend it with him, Jason felt he could leave her. Even if only for a few hours. They had agreed that since she already had the hotel room paid for she really had no reason to leave. He said he would hang out at the beach with them or whatever she wanted to do.

Little did she know that he went straight down to the night clerk at the desk and bought two- three day All Park passes. One for Elizabeth and One for Cameron then had the clerk have someone send them upstairs and shove the envelope with the tickets under her door. He included a note in the envelope.

_Elizabeth,_

_I want you to stay longer but it's up to you. However, maybe this will help make your decision. Since they have already been purchased, you can't say no to them. I had a wonderful time talking with you tonight and hope you feel the same. As we planned, I'll call you at eleven-thirty and we can set our day from there. We'll start with lunch and then maybe you and Cameron will agree to join me at Animal Kingdom._

_Jason_

_PS: I miss you already!_

Once he finished the letter, he paid for the clerk to have two dozen roses sent to her room at exactly ten-thirty so that she would not be woken too soon but would have the flowers to _hopefully_ think of Jason and agree to his offer. He instructed the man to simply put '_Please Stay'_ on the card.

He had to call a car to drive him around the lake to Fort Wilderness. As he was driving away from her hotel he felt the emptiness seeping back into his body. Once they reached Fort Wiilderness, Jason asked the driver to let him out so he could walk the rest of the way.

As he walked he played the entire day over in his mind. How could this woman have affected him so much in one day? Suddenly he realized he was falling for her hard. When she had asked him if he believed in love at first sight and he responded "Today I do." She leapt into his lap and kissed him. What did that mean?

They had talked about her and Cameron and their family. He asked where Cameron's father was and at first Elizabeth tensed up but finally told him that Alexander Smith was her friend in college and one drunken night they did much more than simple friends do. Once she had told him she was pregnant, he took off and she has never heard from him again.

"That weasel" Jason spit out to no one.

Then his thoughts returned to her. She said she was going to college to study art but that had been put on hold when she became pregnant with Cameron. He found out that she was just three semesters shy of her degree but that raising a baby was so expensive, she could not afford to go back. She hoped that with her new job, she would be able to finally finish her degree with online classes that she could take at night when she was home with Cameron.

She said that her brother was a doctor and her grandmother was a nurse but that Elizabeth hated to accept their money or help. She made it a point to state that she did not want anyone to think of her or her son as a charity case. Suddenly, he panicked that she was going to be angry that he bought the tickets. 'Too late now' he thought and nervously shoved his hands into his pockets.

He found out that she was twenty seven. Eight years younger than him. Age didn't matter though. Not to Jason and she seemed unfazed when he said he was thirty five. Actually she said she would have guessed younger. He wondered how old she thought he was.

They talked about Carly and Jason explained to her their whole sordid past. Elizabeth seemed to understand how friendships sometimes got sticky and mentioned that she missed her _friend_ Zander but not Zander, the father of her child. He agreed that his _friend _Carly was a much better version too. She complimented Jason on being able to rise above Carly and Sonny's betrayal so many years ago. He explained that he left and traveled for a year after he found them together and when he returned, he no longer cared. He just wanted his friends back.

She asked him where he had traveled to and Jason described all the places he had seen. When he mentioned Italy, Elizabeth lit up with excitement. She has always wanted to see Italy and the beautiful art housed and created in that country. When Jason said that it seemed like the light of the night sky was different in Italy, she said that she had read that in one of her art history books. She said that was why so many artists flocked to Venice to paint.

The only thing he didn't mention was his _real_ job. He knew it would scare her and wasn't really sure how to tell her that he was a trained killer that worked for the mob. If anything comes from this, he'll have to tell her but for now…there's no need to let it end before it even began.

He strolled slowly along the lagoon's edge and looked across the water. He could just see the top of the castle and then to the left, he could see The Floridian. That's where _**she**_is. That's where the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on was sleeping. What he wouldn't give to be there. Holding her in his arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Finally, he headed up the cobblestones to the front porch of their cabin. All the lights were out. He used his key to enter and was surprised to see Letecia and Reginald asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace. The fire was just ready to die out but the sparkling diamond that was perched on Letecia's finger that was spread across Reginald's bare chest told him that maybe the night wasn't _that_ uneventful after all.

He bent down to tap Reginald on the shoulder. He didn't want to wake Letecia and embarrass her. He could not tell if she was dressed or not since when he saw her earlier she was wearing a simple tube top dress and now she was covered with a blanket but Reginald's bare chest had him wondering. Once Reginald opened his eyes, Jason stood back up and walked to the kitchen to give them some privacy.

"Hey, I take it going back to her room turned out well." Reginald said walking in with his cargo pants on, bare foot and still no shirt.

"Um…Reginald?" Jason looked at him questioningly. He certainly was not judging him but Michael or Morgan could have walked in on them and Jason certainly didn't like that thought. Even worse, _HE_ could have walked in on them. That thought, his nanny and Reginald going at it on his floor, turned the bile in his stomach.

"Get your head out of the gutter Jason. Letecia and I stayed dressed the whole time. I spilled wine on my shirt and Letecia was soaking it. We did get engaged though. I just couldn't wait any longer."

"Congratulations man. I am so happy for you." Jason said as the concern left his face to be replaced by a genuine smile and he jutted his hand out to shake it. Then it struck him, "Why are you guys still here?"

"Carly called Letecia to say she met some man and wasn't coming home tonight. She called Letecia so that she would know she needed to be here in the morning when the boys woke up."

"Fuck! Carly is such an idiot. Did she say who this guy was or where she was? She could be in trouble and we wouldn't know where to find her. And leaving the boys like this. She never uses that brain of hers."

"Oookay but Jason…you did just walk in the door yourself and you spent the night with a woman you just met today. And actually, you left the boys with a stranger, on a boat no less, by themselves. Don't get me wrong, Carly is a mess but aren't you being a bit hypocritical right now?"

Jason scrubbed his face with the palm of his hand as he let Reginald's words sink in. He was right. Carly is a grown woman and had left her boys with him. He was the one that 

left them alone with a stranger. "You know, I think this place is turning my brain to mush."

Reginald let out a soft laugh which prompted Jason to do the same.

"Speaking of mush...tell me about this Elizabeth."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cameron woke up earlier than she'd hoped but later than she expected. He slept until nine forty-five and she was grateful for the few hours of sleep he had given her.

Since he had fallen asleep last night on the boat, he hadn't taken a bath and he was grimy from the day before's events. Especially the cotton candy he and Morgan had shared during the parade. Every time a vendor walked by, if one of the boys asked for it, Jason bought it. Except for the oversized stuffed Pluto that Morgan had wanted. Jason told him it was too big but that they would find it at the gift shop and get it for him then.

"Spoiled rotten" she mumbled as she worked the shampoo into Cameron's curly locks. He had blue cotton candy in his hair and stuck to the side of his face that she hadn't noticed in the dark the night before.

"What Mommy?" Cameron asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking that Jason spoiled you kids rotten yesterday.

"I like him Mommy. He doesn't yell like Uncle Steven when I do something wrong. He's nice."

"Yes he is baby. He's very nice."

"I think he likes kissing you." Cameron laughed.

"Oh you do?" she laughed back.

"Yep! And when you were looking at the parade, he was looking at you. I saw him with my own eyes." Cameron pointed at his eyes like his Grams always did when she said that. Two fingers in the peace sign like he was going to poke his own eyes out.

"He was?" a soft smile played on her face and she looked down at her little boy so proud he had told her something she didn't know. "What do you think about Mr. Jason? Do you think he's a nice enough guy to spend all day today with?"

He jumped up in the tub effectively soaking her and nearly falling himself. "YES!! And Morgan and Michael too?"

"Well, I don't know about them. I think they are going to go to Animal Kingdom with their own mommy but Jason wanted to go to the beach or something and just hang out with us today." She said catching her son and giving him a disapproving frown for his dangerous movement and helped him as he sat back into the bath water.

"I want to go to Animal Kingdom too. I want to go to see the monkeys and elephants and giraffes." He ended with a typical four year old whine.

"Honey, I told you that we could only afford a two day pass and you wanted to go to MGM and Magic Kingdom. I'm sorry honey. Maybe someday we can come back and we'll go to Animal Kingdom then." She reasoned and he just nodded okay with his bottom lip still jutted out slightly.

Once his bath was done, Elizabeth dressed him and perused the menu for breakfast. Four dollars and fifty cents for a bowl of cereal. That was crazy. Thank goodness she thought to stop and pick up a few things before she came to the hotel. She started to walk toward the large bag that was her catch all to get the granola bars and apple when someone knocked on the door.

Elizabeth looked over at the clock and saw that it was ten-thirty. Surely it wasn't Jason. She still had an hour before he was going to _call_ her. She pivoted on her bare heel and moved toward the door. She noticed an envelope sticking out from under the complimentary newspaper and bent to pick it up while asking "Who is it?"

"Hotel staff ma'am. I have a delivery for you." Was muffled from the other side of the door.

Elizabeth checked the safety lock on the door and pulled it open as far as it would crack with the bar placed in it's protection holster. All she could see was a huge display of roses. Red roses and the familiar yellow cap of the hotel's bellhops. She closed the door and pulled it back open fully and the man peeked around the huge display.

"These are for you ma'am and I was told to deliver them at exactly ten-thirty." The blonde headed man said.

"Thank you, hang on…let me see if I have change for a tip. You can set them on the table there." Elizabeth said as she motioned to the small table and went for her purse.

"Oh, no ma'am. The tip was taken care of already. Enjoy." And he turned and left closing the door behind him.

Cameron came in from the balcony and squealed. "Who gave us that?"

"Well I don't know Cam, let me read the card…..Please stay" she flipped the card over but there was nothing else. She didn't really need to know who had sent them though. Jason had been asking her to stay longer all night so surely this was another attempt. He 

finally let it rest, so she thought, when she agreed to one more day. She knew it would cost her an extra two hundred dollars to change her ticket but she was having such a nice time with him, she finally gave in.

Turning her attention to the envelope she had picked up from the floor, she slid her finger under the flap and tugged the envelope open. Two - three day park hopper passes with another note from Jason. She smiled as she read the last line. _I miss you already._

Honestly, she felt the same way. She tossed and turned before going to sleep. As soon as he left she felt the absence of his arms around her and his lips on hers. They had sat and kissed like high school kids on the balcony after he said he believed in love at first sight when he met her. Love. Is this what it feels like?

Elizabeth had never truly been in love. All her twenty seven years, that one emotion had eluded her. First because she was shy, then because she was raped, then too busy with college and then it was like she had the plague when men found out she was a single mother. No one seemed to stay around long. She had relationships before Cameron and definitely had sex but once Cameron arrived, her life changed. She had only had sex one time since he came along and that was a disaster. A one night stand that turned horrible. She thought Ric was really nice and for some reason believed him when he said he loved kids and wanted to get to know her. He was a lawyer and acted like a nice guy who wanted to get to really know her. However, once she had given herself to him that night, he took off like a bat out of hell. He practically laughed in her face as he raced out of the hotel door. That's why one night stands would never happen to her again.

She almost broke her promise to herself last night though. If Jason had tried more, she would have never stopped him. He hadn't though. He was a perfect gentleman. Never letting his hands wander where they shouldn't and never asking for more than she gave him.

Except to stay.

And here she is, two dozen roses and tickets to let her and Cameron enjoy everything Disney had to offer. The hotel was paid for two more nights so….


	8. Chapter 8

Counting to Ten

Chapter 8

And here she is, two dozen roses and tickets to let Cameron enjoy everything Disney had to offer. The hotel was paid for two more nights so….why not stay? Why not, indeed?

Maybe she could figure out a way to feed her and Cam without it driving them to the poor house. However, in the back of her mind, she knew she probably would not even see her credit card again if Jason was around.

It was forty-five minutes before he was to call her so, with Cameron happily watching the Disney Channel, she went out onto the balcony with her hot chocolate and watched all the activity on the water. She could see Fort Wilderness and wondered which cabin was his.

XXXXXXXXX

Jason was pacing. It was nearly eleven o'clock and Carly still had not returned to the cabin. He tried calling her cell phone several times but it immediately went to voice mail. He didn't call Letecia because he had promised her the day off. Reginald had already told him he had no clue as to whom she was with just that she had met a man and would be out for the entire night. He didn't want to call Sonny because he would only erupt in a fit of anger. Jason had given Carly and the boys guards behind in Port Charles for some R&R of their own. He didn't want the Michael and Morgan to worry so he said nothing and paced.

He checked his watch every five minutes and as the second hand ticked by, his jaw ticked and his fists clenched in time.

He should have never left her. He should have gone looking for her as soon as he found out she had left with someone. He should have brought Max and Milo to guard her and the boys. What was he thinking? Carly can't be trusted on her own. Carly does things off the cuff. Carly never makes good decisions. Carly comes up with crazy plans and schemes and Jason always has to rescue her. This time, though, he had nothing to go on and Pleasure Island didn't open until seven pm so even the staff probably wouldn't be there yet. At least not anyone that would have seen Carly leave the night before or who she left with. He called the security division of the Disney World Resort and unless he expounded on his ominously vague discussion, they would not tell him of video or any kind of survellience or security measure at Pleasure Island or Mannequins.

So, he did the one thing he could. He called Spinelli.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was eleven forty-five and Jason still had not called. Cameron was driving her crazy with the questions. When are we leaving? When will Jason call? Why can't we go find him? Do we have to stay in the hotel room? What's for lunch?

Finally the phone rang and she grabbed it before the first ring could finish shrilling through the hotel room.

"HELLO" she practically yelled, excitement brewing so long it spilled out rushed and forceful.

"Elizabeth?" Jason said, not sure why she was so _frazzled_ sounding. He knew he was fifteen minutes late but only because he was on the phone with Spinelli who was, at this very moment, hacking into the Disney computer system. It shouldn't be hard, Jason thought. Hell, it's run by a mouse and a duck. He chuckled at the thought because he so readily accepts Morgan's assumption that Mickey and Donald run the place.

"Jason" she calmed herself and tried to sound slightly aloof or at least unaffected by his obvious attempt at making her wait in anticipation for him. "I got your flowers. And the tickets. Thank you but really, it's too much."

He smiled slightly at her gratitude but that wasn't why he called and he hated the true reason. "You're welcome but I have some bad news. I can't really go anywhere right now. My best friend, Carly, is…missing."

Her gasp was audible over the receiver and Jason cringed at the fact that he had scared her, even if she weren't scared for herself. "Jason, what do you mean she's missing? Didn't she come home from Pleasure Island last night?"

"No she didn't but she called to say she was staying out. She met some man and she wouldn't be home until today. Honestly, that is typical of the old Carly and since she's been so upset over Jax leaving her, it just kind of seemed like one of her _Carly _moves so, I didn't worry. But now, it's almost noon and she would have been back by now. We had plans to take the boys to Animal Kingdom and I know she really wanted to go. I can't get a hold of her. Her phone keeps going to voicemail and…I'm just worried."

"What's the number to your cabin? I'll watch the boys while you find her. It will be okay. I am sure she is just sleeping in wherever she is, you know. I am sure by the time I hang up she'll be walking in the door. Did you call Disney security?"

"Yes, they weren't very helpful so I put my guy on it."

"Your guy?"

"Yes, I'll explain later. I don't want to ruin yours and Cameron's day though. Why don't you two go enjoy the tickets. I'll…I'll try to find you later. Maybe you could give me your cell number?"

"Jason, I won't have any fun worrying about you and your friend or those two little boys worrying about their mother. Did you tell them?"

"No, I don't want to scare them."

"Then it's settled. I'll come over and get the boys and we'll…I don't know. We'll do something to distract them so you can focus on finding her."

"Are you sure? This sure isn't what I had in mind when I begged you to stay."

"Was that begging? It was more like pleasurable persuasion."

"Either way, it worked." He smirked, glad she enjoyed his powers of persuasion. The thought made him groan as his body reacted to the thoughts of her in his arms and his lips on her neck.

"Well, yes it did. Okay so what's the cabin number?"

"Ten. It's the big one. And Elizabeth…thank you."

"I'll be right there." She hung up the phone and peered down into her little boy's russet colored eyes. "We are going over to Jason's cabin to play with Michael and Morgan. Maybe we'll go explore Fort Wilderness for a little while and then go to Animal Kingdom. But honey, if we don't get to go to Animal Kingdom, I promise we'll go tomorrow. Okay?"

"YEA! I want to see Jason's cabin. And Morgan. He said he has another motorcycle I can play with." Cameron said jumping up and down, excited that the day was finally starting.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth knocked on the door and Michael opened it. When she walked in she saw Jason sitting on the couch staring into a laptop on the coffee table and on the phone. He looked up and motioned her in but there was no hint of a smile on his face. To Elizabeth, he looked worried.

She quickly moved from his sightline so he wouldn't be distracted. Not that she was a distraction. Once he had seen her and invited her in with a sweeping wave of his hand and arm, he was right back entranced in the computer and the phone conversation. Whomever he was talking to was making him mad and she was quickly finding out that the calm, even tone he used when Cameron was acting up was not his only demeanor. He was quickly letting her, and her son, see a side of himself that was…terrifying. Cameron was sinking into her legs behind her the louder his voice grew.

"SPINELLI, GET TO THE POINT! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE GOD DAMN STARS THAT ARE VACATIONING HERE RIGHT NOW, I NEED YOU TO DO YOUR DAMN JOB AND TELL ME WHERE THE HELL CARLY IS AND WHO SHE IS WITH."

Scared but realizing that the children in the room, especially Carly's children, needed to be protected from this conversation, she spoke up, "Boys, why don't we all go for a walk and see what there is to do here at Fort Wilderness."

Hearing the fear in her voice, Jason, for the first time, realized he was yelling into the phone and looked around the room. Everyone had the same look on their face. Michael's, however, was more intense. He could see shock and a little trepidation in everyone but fear was clearly etched in Michael's big brown eyes. It was enough to make Jason cringe with guilt.

"Spinelli, I'll call you back." With that, he flipped his phone closed and stood.

"I'm sorry about that. I…I get so frustrated with Spinelli. He becomes so distracted with irrelevant facts that I sometimes snap." He looked from Elizabeth to Michael. "Michael, your mom is fine. I just want to find her so that we can tell her to meet us at Animal Kingdom later. That's all. She's fine."

"No she's not and don't lie to me. I'm not a little kid anymore." Michael said in huffed frustration. He had been in this family long enough to recognize when Uncle Jason was nervous and worried. And when that happened, it was bad.

Jason gently tugged the boy into his arms and hugged him. His voice still showed the aggravation he felt. "Michael, haven't I always told you that I would take care of you and your mother?"

"Yes" Michael's voice was shaky and a bit cracked.

"Have I ever let you down?" Jason asked slightly softening his tone and stroking the boys hair.

"No but Uncle Jason, I deserve to know what's going on. You can't tell Morgan because he's just a baby but"

Morgan cut him off. "I AM NOT A BABY! I'M A BIG BOY!"

Elizabeth slid over toward Morgan who was on the stairs running his motorcycle back and forth on them. Cameron followed behind her holding on to his mothers light blue Capri pants with the two inch wide white cuffs.

She had on a white tank top and her hair was pulled through a white baseball cap with Tigger and Winnie the Pooh on it. She wore flat white sandals that tied up her legs and minimal makeup. Just some mascara and a light gloss on her lips. Classic gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears and that same gold necklace with the charm that intrigued him the day before hung around her neck. Jason had discovered last night at the parade while he watched her that it was a crystal carving of 'Mother and Child'. She looked gorgeous. Crisp and clean and relaxed without all the pretenses women tried to hide behind.

Then he saw the look in her eyes. The combination of discomfort, concern and anxiousness. Then he saw Cameron cowering behind her, peeking his eyes around her legs to stare up at him. Jason dropped his head in shame.

"I'm sorry" Jason said. He pulled Michael back and looked him in the eye, speaking softly. "Your mother went out last night. She called and said she was staying out with a new friend she had met but she isn't answering her phone so I am worried about her. Michael, you know your mother. She doesn't think sometimes. I am sure she's doing one of two things. Being her completely thoughtless self and not thinking about the fact that you and Morgan and I wanted to go to Animal Kingdom today or she's purposely waiting until I go chasing after her. You know how she likes to play with my head. Either way, I WILL find her. You know that."

Michael nodded and let a small smile grace his lips. Jason then moved over to Elizabeth and gave her a regrettably sorrowful look. Then without saying a word to her, he bent down to Cameron. Squatting, he was eye level with the little boy and let out a calming breath before he spoke.

"Cameron. I am sorry you heard me yelling. I was very mad at my employee but I should not have yelled at him. I never want to scare you and I did. I promise I'll try harder. Deal?" He lifted his hand up for the little boy to give him a high five. His soothing voice had effectively caused the boy to move from behind his mother and he started to smile.

"You yell like my Uncle Steven. He gets mad and yells. Usually at me because I touch his things." Cameron offered without acquiescing to the high five just yet.

"Well, how about you all go have lunch and once I find Morgan and Michael's mommy, I'll meet you there and we can go do something fun. Deal?" he tried again, never having removed his arm and hand's position and Cameron finally gave him a high five.

"It's a deal" then he lunged at Jason wrapping his little arms around Jason's neck.

Jason stood with Cameron in his arms and shifted him to his hip and looked at Elizabeth. She smiled at him and he took that opportunity to lean down and brush the lightest kiss across her lips. Cameron giggled pulling his attention away.

Jason set the little boy on his feet and walked over to Morgan. "Hey buddy, would you be willing to go with Elizabeth and Cameron and your brother while I go get your mom? I'll try to be quick and I am sure Elizabeth will let you get whatever you want to eat."

"Even an ice cream?" Morgan asked.

Jason looked back up at Elizabeth and smiled. "Yes, I think ice cream is just what the doctor ordered."

Jason stood and reached into his pocket to pull out his credit card. He flipped through the wad of folded bills when it hit him. His eyes grew wide and he slammed his money back into his pocket, retrieving his phone at the same time.

"Spinelli, look for charges on my credit card…No, the one tied to my regular account. I gave it to Carly before I left her last night…You what?...We'll talk about it when I get home."

Waiting for Spinelli to pull up his records he turned to Elizabeth. "If I know Carly, she decided to use my credit card to go on a little shopping spree. I am probably in the hole by tens of thousands of dollars by now."

"Uncle Michael, you should have thought about that earlier. We could all be at Animal Kingdom by now." Michael piped up, rolling his eyes at his uncle.

"I know. It didn't dawn on me until I went to give my card to Elizabeth to take with you guys. I'll probably need to transfer some money huh?" Jason laughed.

"Yep, if there's a store, Mom will find _something_ to buy in it." Michael finished as he plopped down on the couch.

Jason's head turned into the phone. "She's where?...Okay start over…" he shifted and looked up at Elizabeth who now had a simply confused look on her face but he understood. When it comes to Caroline "Carly" Benson Roberts Quartermaine Corinthos Alcazar Corinthos Jacks, everyone is confused.

"Good. Stick by your computer. Oh who am I telling. If I need you, I'll call you back." He flipped the phone closed and started for the door.

"Well?" Elizabeth said before he could open it. She was standing, now with Morgan in her arms, looking at Jason as if expecting an answer.

"Her last purchase was two full body massages at the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. It's over by Downtown Disney which makes sense because that's where she last used my card last night." He looked over at Michael who was kicked back with his hands behind his head, smiling from ear to ear. "I know what you are thinking and you are right. This is my punishment, in her own wicked way, for leaving her last night. YOUR MOTHER"

He didn't finish his sentence. He turned to Elizabeth and his own wicked thought came to mind. He opened his phone and dialed. "Carly, we can't find you so I called Sonny. He is on the first plane he could get down here now. I took Michael and Morgan with me back home because Sonny needs me there. Letecia came with me. I hope you are okay. You won't be able to call me after the next hour. Call the boys though. We're already on the plane. Use my card for whatever you need. Spinelli's looking for you so I am sure Sonny will find you soon. If you are okay, you should have called. If you aren't, I love you. Bye"

Turning to the boys, he announced. "Go pack your stuff. It's time we boys play a little trick on your mom. I'll call Letecia so she doesn't spoil it for us. We are going to have a fun two days and let your mom stew in her own stupidity."

Both boys laughed and Morgan jumped down from Elizabeth's arms. All three rushed up the stairs but Jason stopped just at the bottom to look at Elizabeth and give her a wink. She didn't look like she approved of his plan but they had to get out of there fast. He'd explain later.


	9. Chapter 9

Counting to Ten

Chapter 9

They were all in a limousine. Elizabeth had never been in a limo and neither had Cameron. When Jason came downstairs with his and Morgan's luggage she was a little surprised. Morgan's suitcase was larger than Jason's. _I pack light_ was his only explanation. Then they gathered everything they could get together and headed out to the limo he had called for while he was upstairs.

While they were in the car driving out of Fort Wilderness, he was back on the phone with Letecia confirming that she would simply not answer her phone until after nine and use the excuse that the vacation tired everyone and they were all in bed and the boys were already asleep. Then Jason got back on the phone with Spinelli. He instructed the boy to find a suite for them on Disney grounds. Procure it then call him back to let them know where they would be staying for the rest of their vacation. When he finally hung up he leaned back and closed his eyes. He still had the smirk of a man playing games.

"I'm not exactly sure what's going on here and I certainly would never try to tell you what to do but…these _ARE_ her kids." She said, pulling Jason from his thoughts to stare at her while she pointed to the two boys sitting across from her on each side of him.

"Yes but Carly won't worry about the boys because I used two key words**. **_**I**_ have them and _**Letecia**_ is with us. Look, I know this is…" he paused searching for the correct words "not really right and I never EVER have done this before but she's had it coming for a long time now. She loves to make me worry and cause me to panic and go chasing after her. She has no thoughts about ruining any plans I may have to play out her little games. Trust me, I love Carly but she can be a real pain sometimes. It's time she had a taste of her own medicine." He responded matter of fact.

Michael chimed in. "Yeah and without a spoonful of sugar."

Morgan just giggled. Even at four years old, he knew how his mother made his Uncle Jason crazy sometimes. Besides, he was excited that they were going to go have a sleepover at another place. Maybe this one would have a pool.

XXXXXXXXX

Spinelli found two suites available for Jason and the boys. One at the Polynesian and one at The Floridian. Jason immediately took the latter liking the fact that he would be in the same hotel as Elizabeth. This way he could spend another night talking with Elizabeth into the wee hours of the morning. Oh, and kissing her while she was in his arms was a definite plus too.

He instructed the driver to head over to Animal Kingdom to drop them all off and take their things to their suite. The driver was happy to oblige with the generous tip Jason gave him.

Once inside Animal Kingdom, they all agreed that they were starved so they headed straight for the Rainforest Café. It had a waterfall and a volcano that erupted. There were gorillas that beat on their chest and elephants that blew their snouts. It was a fascinating place to eat and every one were awed at the atmosphere.

After they were done eating they set out to explore the park. They went to The Tree of Life and all marveled at the animals that were carved out in the giant oak. Elizabeth and Jason didn't have the heart to tell the children that it wasn't a real tree.

Then they headed over to the Kali River Rapids. Jason and Michael got soaked while Elizabeth and the two little ones got off the ride dry as a bone. Both agreeing that they would be miserable walking around in soaking wet pants and shirts, Jason and Michael went into a gift shop and purchased new pants and shirts. When Michael found the Grumpy t-shirt with the slogan "Dude with the Tude" he insisted Jason had to wear it. Since it gave Michael so much pleasure, he bought it and put it on. As long as it was a t-shirt and dark in color, he didn't really care.

They both walked out of the store and Elizabeth let out a stomach rumbling laugh when she caught site of the khaki cargo pants and dark blue t-shirt Jason was wearing.

"Dude with the Tude, huh?" she asked as Jason turned a light shade of pink.

"Michael insisted." He said with a sheepish grin.

"Well, I think after seeing you earlier, it fits." She replied.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head and whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you and Cam."

"I think we're over it." She stated simply putting that whole ordeal to rest for good.

They enjoyed their day. Jason and Elizabeth held hands most of it, sneaking small kisses here and there. Cameron and Morgan got along great. Michael was in heaven with all the animals. He and Jason shared a knowing comfort while both expelling to the rest of the group and anyone who would listen all that they knew about the animals and life in Africa and Asia.

They went on the Kilimanjaro Safari then to Habitat Habit and It's Tough to Be a Bug. They walked the Marajah Jungle Trek and the Pangani Exploration Trail. They went over to the area of the park with rides for the little ones and Jason and Michael both laughed watching Morgan, Cameron AND Elizabeth on the Tricera Top Spin. Elizabeth got her own giggle when she, Morgan and Cameron witnessed Michael and Jason exiting Expedition Everest. They were both green. Michael wanted to go again but Jason said once was enough of that rollercoaster for him.

The phone rang once and Michael and Jason both laughed at the message Carly left. She was more upset that he had sent Sonny after her so she was packing up and going home. Elizabeth tried to defend the wayward mother but Jason and Michael wanted to hear none of it. Jason quickly called Sonny and got him to stall the airplane or divert it so that they could at least have today to enjoy before dealing with the wrath of Carly for their trickery.

Since the park closed at six, due to all the animals being the biggest attractions, they agreed they would all go back to the hotel and shower and change for dinner. Jason wanted to call the limo again but Elizabeth insisted they could all _slum it_ on the buses that would take them around to the monorail.

While on the bus, Jason asked Elizabeth what she would like to do for the rest of the evening. Her response surprised him.

"I would love to find a place that serves a decent hamburger, not the hockey pucks they serve here for six dollars, and maybe settle on something stationary and relaxing for the evening. My feet hurt and I know Cameron is close to wanting to be carried the rest of the day."

With that, Jason tapped on Michael's leg and winked. "Why don't we go do something OFF Disney grounds tonight? What do you think?"

"Let's go to Kook Kat Grill and Pub. I saw it in my Orlando guide. It has hamburgers and all kinds of stuff and there's something called Fuzzy Dice Cake for dessert. Since it's Thursday, they have a kind of parade drive by the restaurant of old classic cars and motorcycles. And you can have a beer Uncle Jason." Michael said excitedly, pulling his guide book out of his pocket and trying to find the page where he read about the restaurant.

"Would it be suitable for kids?" Elizabeth asked, concerned about the fact that the word 'Pub' was in the name.

"It has a kids menu so I would say it probably is okay for the first half of the evening." Michael revealed with a smile and then looking at his uncle he said, "Then maybe we can all just go back to the hotel and watch a movie or something. I'll babysit so you two can take a walk around the hotel or something."

"Babysit?" Jason asked. His eyes growing wide and unsure.

"Uncle Jason, I'm twelve years old. I know how to dial 911 and the hotel desk and your cell phone and it's not like you would be far. Besides, those two will probably fall asleep early anyway. I'd just be sitting in the room with them while they sleep and I play my video games. What could possibly happen?"

Jason pondered his nephews reasoning and after a few minutes he decided that if Elizabeth was okay with the idea, he was too. However, he was calling Letecia to see where she and Reginald were. Knowing they were there would make him feel that much better about the idea. "What do you think, Elizabeth?"

"If we were to stay close to the hotel and he had your cell phone number and mine. He's really not much younger than the babysitter the hotel sent for Cameron yesterday and he at least knows them and is really good with them. I guess I am okay with that. Are you sure you want to do that Michael?"

"Oh yeah, these are all things I am putting in the UJ Bank for when I turn sixteen." Michael said with a smirk.

"What's the UJ Bank?" Elizabeth asked squinting and crinkling her forehead searching her mind for what that could possibly mean.

Jason was the first to respond. "The UJ Bank is the Uncle Jason bank. He does things for me now and I buy him a motorcycle and teach him to ride when he's sixteen. He's got four more years to go and I would say just today and yesterday he's earned enough for a Harley Signature Roadster."

Michael raised his fists up in the air with a loud "YES" and Jason mussed his hair and pulled him into a sideways hug. Things were going great and now Jason was going to get to have a beer, hopefully play a game of pool since the place _was _a pub, check out some cool cars and motorcycles and spend the evening with the most beautiful girl in the world.

'It can't get any better than this.' Jason thought as the monorail they were on pulled into the Floridian and they all climbed out to head for the front desk.


	10. Chapter 10

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 10

Jason, Michael and Morgan were standing, freshly scrubbed, in front of Elizabeth's door. Jason raised his hand to knock but before his knuckles could hit the door, it flew open and a very excited four year old was jumping for joy.

"Yea! You're here. Are we going to ride in a limo again? Can I open the top and look out the window? Did you have to take a bath? My mommy made me take a bath. Did you? Huh?"

"Woah, hang on Buddy. Yes, we all had to take a bath and yes we are going in a limo and I don't know if your mother will let you look out the sunroof. Did I answer all of your questions?" Jason said as he tugged the legs of his jeans to squat before the little boy.

"What's a sunroof?" Cameron asked. "And you didn't say if I could look out the roof window."

Michael and Jason laughed. Jason looked around the room and didn't see Elizabeth. He called her name and she yelled from the bathroom that she would be just one more minute. Concern crossed over Jason's face knowing Cameron was the one that opened the door but soon it faded as he saw the chair and then noticed the peep hole. The little boy must have been watching for when they stepped off the elevator. That was the only explanation for how he knew to open the door without their knocking.

Suddenly, the door to the bathroom opened and Jason let out a low whistle as Elizabeth stepped out in a hip hugging blue jean mini skirt, a bright red blouse that hugged her figure, dropped sleeves off the side of her shoulders, exposed just enough of her breasts and didn't completely cover her stomach so that he could see the sparkling belly button jewelry. Then he traveled down her legs to the four inch heels with peek-a-boo toes. Her hair was tightly coifed up with wisps of curls cascading down the side of her face. Her eyes were smokey with dark eyeshadow and mascara and her lashes were so long, he thought he could touch them from the door. Her lips were as red as her blouse and shoes and shimmered. She had what he could only describe to himself as glitter across her legs, stomach, chest and bared shoulders. She was a vixen. And he liked it. A LOT!

"Mommy, you look pretty." Cameron said as he ran up and hugged her legs.

"Thank you baby." She said as she looked up at Jason who stood with his eyes flashing fire.

"Um yeah…you look incredible." Jason sputtered trying to catch his breath.

Michael just stared and smiled. She looked like his mom always did when she was in trouble or wanted something from his dad or from Jax. Then again, Jason looked like his dad and Jax always did when his mom dressed like Elizabeth. Whatever Elizabeth wanted or did, Jason was going to give it or forgive it. Michael was sure of it.

When they reached the lobby, they ran into Letecia and Reginald. After introductions, Jason asked. "Has she called you yet?"

"Yes, twice. I haven't answered yet but her voicemails have not been so nice." Letecia informed him in a hushed tone.

Jason again saw the troubled look on Elizabeth's face. "Sonny will take care of it. You are doing perfect. Once I know she's back in Port Charles, I'll call her and take the heat. When I talked to Sonny he said he would call me when her plane touched down. Hey, have you guys eaten dinner?"

"No, we were just talking about that." Reginald chimed in.

"Well, why don't you join us? We are going to a place kind of like a car museum with pool tables and regular food. It's my treat as a celebration of your engagement." Jason asked as he slid up next to Elizabeth and put his arm around her waist. He frowned as she twisted so that his arm would drop.

Realizing there was something wrong he nodded when Reginald and Letecia accepted his invitation and quickly jumped in to action. "Why don't you all get in the limo out front? Elizabeth and I will be there in a minute. I need to get some more cash."

Once the crowd started toward the entrance to The Floridian, Jason turned Elizabeth with a gentle tug on her arm and tried to look her in the eye. "What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"I just think you are taking this joke or punishment or whatever you want to call it too far. I am a mother and I would be terribly upset if my son was not where I thought he was much less find out that my friends made it so that I would not be able to enjoy his vacation with him." She explained never quite looking him in the eye.

"No, I am sure YOU would be upset but trust me when I say this is something straight out of her own book of tricks. She never called to check on her boys. She went to breakfast and then for a massage. Besides, you would not have gone out all night and left your two sons then not bothered to consider them and come home the next morning first thing. I don't mean to be rude but you really don't know Carly so you can't really make an informed opinion about this situation."

"I don't know you either but I am not sure I like this side to you."

Stepping back to regroup, Jason ran his hand through his hair placing his other hand on his hip as he looked at her toes peeking out of her shoes. She was upset and he needed to figure out a way to change her mood. He was afraid she would call off their evening.

She stood still, facing him awaiting his response.

"This is not going how I imagined. Look, if I promise to call Carly and tell her what I have done right now will you change your opinion of me and still let me spend the evening with you?"

"No, I still plan to spend the evening with you. I didn't get dressed like this to sit in my hotel room eating Ramen noodles for dinner. Besides, like you said, I don't know Carly and she did leave her children to run off with some man and then made you worry about her. I may not like what you are doing but it's certainly not my place to tell you what you can and cannot do with your own friend. But don't expect me to like it and don't expect me to play along." She said matter of fact.

He smiled at her frankness. It was refreshing to find someone that didn't play games, said what she thought but didn't try to change him. She was the complete opposite of every woman he'd ever met. It made him realize he could easily fall in love with her.

"Does that mean you're not mad at me?" he asked hoping she would say yes.

"No, I never was _mad_ at you. I just said I didn't like what you are doing. It's just…."

"It's just what?" he slid up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She slid her hand up onto his chest and slowly lifted her sapphire blue eyes to meet his artic blue ones. Softly she spoke, "I don't like games. This is a game you are playing and if you'll do it to someone you call your best friend, what's to say you aren't playing games with me?"

"I'm not" he whispered, pulling her flush against his body.

"How would I know that? You are flashing money around left and right. You say and do all the right things. You obviously want something from me. What is it Jason? What do you want from me?"

"I want you." He said and lowered his head for a mind blowing kiss. He plundered her mouth, running his tongue across her lips, her teeth, her tongue. He moved his hand to her neck turning his head slightly to deepen the kiss. Her knees went weak from his drugging kiss and he caught her, lifting her off her feet while backing her up against a column in the hotel lobby. Pulling away because they both needed air he whispered again into her ear. "I want you."

She hung in the air, the cool column pressed against her shoulders while Jason's arms held her up and his hands and fingers squeezed into her back. He nipped at her ear, then her neck then her bare shoulder leaving a trail of tingles everywhere his lips touched. She wrapped her arms around his neck and could feel a trembling passion rising up in her and settling low in her belly. He shifted slightly and she could feel his hardened manhood against her thigh. She tensed and he released her. He lowered her to the floor, holding on until he was sure she was standing. He moved his mouth back to hers and lightly brushed her lips with his.

He backed up and looked at her, never letting his hands leave her waist. "Let's get some money and get the hell out of here before I ravage you in the middle of this lobby."

She just stared without a word passing through her swollen lips and then allowed him to clasp her hand and lead her over to the ATM machine. With his free hand, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He used one hand to open then sift through it to pull out a credit card then held the credit card in his teeth and tucked his wallet back into his jeans.

She tried to pull her hand from his recognizing that he was having a difficult time maneuvering with only one appendage but he tightened his grip and quickly turned to look at her. In his eyes, she could see he wanted, no he needed that connection so she ran her free hand up his arm and under his sleeve of his black t-shirt then leaned her head against his shoulder, never trying to let go of his hand again.

XXXXXXXXXXX

They were having a wonderful time at Kool Katz and the kids were having a blast. To entertain the children while adults watched the parade of cars, they had clowns that made balloon animals and children's toys and games and videos set up in a side section of the restaurant. It was nice because the parents could easily see their children and still enjoy themselves. Each parent had an armband that matched their child so that the child was unable to leave the play group without the parent retrieving them.

While the parade of cars and motorcycles drove by, Jason pointed out a bike that was just like the one he owned. He told her how much he loved riding and that his bike was his salvation when the world became too much. She listened with fascination as he told her about the rides he would take and the places around New York and Canada he would go. He mentioned the feeling of freedom and oneness with the open roads and she said it sounded like the same feeling she would get when she painted.

He held her in his arms and rocked her while they watched the cars go by. Finally the parade ended and the four adults and Michael moved toward the bar area. Michael went over to a video game and Jason fed him quarter after quarter. Letecia and Elizabeth went to check on the kids and Reginald and Jason started a game of pool.

"She's beautiful Jason." Reginald said as he pivoted his stick back to smack hard into the cue ball which sent the fifteen sold and striped balls scattering. He sank two solids and moved to line up his next shot.

"Yes she is." Jason responded searching the restaurant and letting out a soft sigh once his eyes rested upon her. She was holding Cameron as he was showing her a piece of paper he held in his hands and they both looked over at Jason and waved. He lifted his hand from around the pool stick and waved back with a grin growing wide on his face.

"So, where do you see this going? I mean…I don't mean to pry but I haven't seen you like this since I caught you and Robin at the Quartermaine boathouse the first summer after your accident." He missed his shot and tapped Jason on the shoulder pulling his attention from across the room. "Your shot."

Jason looked at the pool table and assessed he was stripes and walked around to take his shot. "Your guess is as good as mine Reginald. I don't know where this will go but since she's moving to New York City in a few weeks, I have a feeling I'll be traveling often. If she'll still wants to see me after we leave here."

"Oh, I think she will. She seems smitten with you which is strange since you aren't a very charming man." Reginald chuckled and made an odd face, crossing his eyes and sucking in his cheeks.

He made his shot and the next one while he and Reginald held the conversation. "I don't know about that. She said I am her Prince Charming."

"Prince Charming? Jason, I think Spinelli has you more accurately pegged."

Jason looked up and laughed as Reginald attempted to give his best menacing face and stance. "Are you drunk?"

"No, I'm Stonecold." He laughed and walked, attempting to mimic Jason with his arms out and his legs slightly bowed, over to the shelf along the wall to grab his beer. Jason laughed and then picked up the blue cue chalk and hit Reginald in the back with it.

After chugging down the rest of his beer and moving to the bar, purchasing another round for he and Jason, Reginald finally returned to his awaiting shot and moved in to sink the purple four ball in the side pocket. Just before he pulled back the stick, he looked up at Jason and asked, "Does she know what you and Sonny _really_ do for a living?"

Pain flashed across Jason's face. His biggest fear since he met Elizabeth is what will happen once she finds out he is a murderer for the mob and that Sonny is the strongest Don in the northeast. He knew once she moved to New York, she would find out quickly. Regardless of their three hour distance, Sonny and Jason's holdings went far beyond Port Charles and their names were a commonality in news briefs and news articles throughout the northeast region.

Reginald saw the pained look on his friends face and needed no explanation. Then he noticed Letecia and Elizabeth heading toward them. "Heads up, here come the girls."

Jason swung around, stick still in hand and smiled. 'For tonight, I'm just a coffee importer.' He thought and reached out and grabbed her by the waist pulling her into his side. He leaned down and kissed her pulse point just below her ear. She moaned and leaned her head away from his to give him more canvas to paint his kisses on.

Reginald and Letecia displayed a similar pose and Michael groaned as he walked over to request more quarters. Jason pointed to the stack on the pool table and said, "Take half" then watched as Michael slid half the stack of quarters into his pocket and walked away.

"He's at that age where he's noticing girls but still thinks that for the most part, they are pretty gross." Jason laughed. He pulled Elizabeth tighter, "One day soon, he'll know just what you girls do to men."

"What do we do?" she asked coyly as she batted her lashes at him.

He groaned and his voice became husky and deep. "You make us weak. You make our minds go to mush and make us say and do things that are not manly."

"Not manly? Like what?" she asked as she leaned into him and put her fingertips into his back pockets giving a light squeeze. He tensed and let out a shaky breath.

"Like write poetry and sing love songs and…and…dance." He gave a look on his face as if he smelled burnt toast. "Then you touch us and we lose all reason."

He reached back and pulled her hands from his pockets and pushed her arms down to her side. Patting them to stay put.

"How have I made you lose all reasoning?" She asked turning around to watch him shoot the red seven ball.

Reginald spoke up with a grin on his face, "Well, Prince Charming over here just sunk my solid instead of his stripe which leaves me with the eight ball. He is an expert pool player and this will be the first time I ever have a chance of beating him so, I would say you are very much a distraction Miss Webber."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they returned to the hotel, they discovered that Letecia and Reginald's room was on the same floor about eight doors down from Elizabeth. Elizabeth disappeared into her hotel room while Michael, Morgan and Jason waited near the elevator saying good night to Letecia and Reginald. They also took that opportunity to call Carly.

Elizabeth and Cameron were walking down the hall as Jason was finishing up getting his tongue lashing from Carly. She had changed into a pair of light green matching sweat pants and hoodie and Cameron was wearing Spongebob pajama shirt and pants and Squidward slippers, holding on to a stuffed teddy bear.

Jason looked up and saw them walking toward him and sternly voiced, "Goodnight Carly" and closed his phone. He looked down at Cameron's pajamas and teddy bear and looked back up at Elizabeth with a curious look.

"I figured it would be easier if he falls asleep before we get back from our walk that he already be in his pajamas." She answered his unasked question.

"Well, let's go." He said and he picked up Cameron and hearing Morgan whimper, leaned down and picked him up as well. With two four year olds on his hip, he had a hard time with no contact to Elizabeth but she read his mind and slipped her hand into his back pocket and followed he and Michael into the elevator.

Once they got to the suite, Jason instructed Michael as he walked around and checked that the phone was operational, that Michael's cell was charged, that the windows and doors were locked and that he had all the numbers he needed in case of emergency. Elizabeth helped Morgan put his clothes away from his suitcase and refolded some of them while the little boy changed into his Superman pajamas. Elizabeth giggled when Morgan told her that he loves his Superman pajamas because they remind him of his uncle because Jason "really is Superman". He said it so seriously that Elizabeth could do nothing but confirm that she did think she saw a big red 'S' on his chest at the pool the day before. Morgan looked at her curiously but jumped up on the bed and climbed under the covers next to Cameron.

Jason walked in with two juice boxes, poking the straws into the holes and placing one on each night table next to each boy. Michael was busy queuing up the Cars movie that they had already agreed to watch from the pay channel. Jason kissed Morgan on the head and wished him goodnight and then did the same to Cameron once the little boy asked, "What about my night night kiss Jason?"

Elizabeth did the same thing with both boys and promised Cameron she would be back soon and that if he needed her, Michael would call her on her cell phone for him. Cameron was fine with that reassurance and the movie started pulling both boys attention away from the adults.

With the side lamp next to the dresser on low, Jason turned off the overhead light and followed Elizabeth and Michael out into the living room area of the suite.

"Michael, we aren't leaving the property here at The Floridian. Actually, if you go out on the balcony, you'll be able to see us in a few minutes. If something happens and the phone doesn't work, just yell. I'll hear you."

"Okay Uncle Jason. Can I watch something different out here?" Michael said picking up the remote.

"Nothing more than PG13." Jason responded. "Do you need anything before we go?"

"Nope." And Michael clicked on the TV effectively dismissing them without more words.

XXXXXXXXXXX

They strolled down toward the beach and settled into two lounge chairs in the sand in a position that Jason could look out at the water but see the windows and balcony of his suite in his peripheral vision.

Within minutes of small talk, Jason had tugged Elizabeth out of her chair and into his lap. They talked and kissed and petted each other. Each exploring the other a little more boldly as the night progressed.

By the end of their first hour on the beach, the talking had stopped and the kissing was becoming intense.

"Maybe we should go for a walk." Elizabeth suggested knowing that they were quickly losing themselves to the passion they were both feeling. His hardened cock had been twitching against her hip for the past half hour and his hand had just traveled underneath her shirt.

"Hmmm?" he asked kissing down the column of her neck and heading for the exposed swell of her breasts.

"Jason, if we don't stop, we **won't** stop." She said trying to pull herself from his grip.

"What if I don't want to?" he asked looking up at her and loosening his grip, sliding his hand out from underneath her shirt.

She zipped up the zipper of her hoodie where he had slid it down earlier and stood.

Jason immediately pushed on his jeans to try to relieve and reduce his throbbing member. Once he felt he wouldn't be tented when he stood, he slowly climbed up and looked at Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry I pushed." He said still trying to concentrate on dogshit, bullfights, bloody knuckles or anything other than what one Elizabeth Webber was doing to his body.

"Jason, you didn't push." She took his hand and started walking, pulling him with her. "I just don't want to be a one night stand and since I'm leaving Saturday, we only have one more day together. I don't want to ruin it by sleeping with you."

"What are you talking about? Why would us having sex ruin tomorrow?" he stopped and turned her to look at him.

She looked at her feet and shuffled from one to the other. He used both hands to still her by her shoulders and when she still wouldn't look up at him, he used his finger to lift her chin until their eyes met. "Why would making love to me ruins things?"

"Because once you get that, there's no reason to want to hang out with me anymore." She said letting all of her air leave her body with the words.

"What? Why would you think that?"

"Well, isn't that what guys do? They charm women until they get some then walk away. Especially women like me."

"Women like you?" he paused watching the unsettling emotions play across her face in the moonlight. Realizing they had never even talked about the future for them, he dropped his hands and slumped his shoulders. He took in a deep breath and let it out. "Elizabeth, we need to talk."

"No, it's okay. I understand."

"No, I don't think you do. I wasn't planning for this to end when we leave here unless you tell me you don't want to see me. You keep telling me I throw money around and maybe that's a little true but you don't understand why. I have a lot of money but me, personally, I don't really need much of it. However, I use it to make people I love happy. I spend my money to make everyone around me happy and comfortable. I haven't been spending money on you or Cameron for any other reason than to make you happy. I don't expect anything from you because of it."

"I didn't say" she started but he held up his hand effectively cutting her sentence off.

"I live in New York but even if you hadn't taken the job in the city, I would have flown to Colorado or wherever you were to see you as often as you would have allowed me. Since you DID take the job and Port Charles is only about three hours away and really less than thirty minutes by plane, I don't see a reason why I can't see you and hopefully date you and…get to know you and Cameron more. That is if you wanted to. But if you only see this going on for as long as we're here at Disney World, then I'll take what I can get. And you don't have to sleep with me to keep me around. I like being with you. Would I like more? Of course. I'm a man and you are the sexiest woman I have ever met but it's not just your incredible external beauty that makes you sexy. It's…well, it's everything about you. Inside and out."

He stopped figuring he had said enough and now the ball was in her court. He just hoped she didn't walk away. Time seemed to stand still and Jason grew worried the longer she didn't respond. He dropped his head realizing she wasn't going to and stared at the white sand beneath his boots.

Finally Elizabeth processed all of his words and smiled. "Jason?" he looked up and returned her smile with his own. "I have two things I need to tell you."

"Go on" he prodded. The smile was all he needed to know she wasn't going to walk away, at least not tonight.

"First, my job isn't in New York City. It happens to be in a town called Crimson Point. It's on the Hudson near a town called Port Charles. And second, when I asked you yesterday if you believed in love at first sight it is because I feel like I am falling in love with you."


	11. Chapter 11

Counting to Ten

Chapter 11

"You love me?" Jason picked her up in his arms, cradling her, and spun her around.

"**YOU LOVE ME**!" he shouted and the couples around them turned toward them clapping.

Elizabeth laughed and flung her head back as she kicked her legs up. When she heard the clapping from the few couples that were out on the beach with them, she straightened up and stiffened in his arms. Jason stopped spinning and leaned in for a kiss but she stopped the advance of his lips with her hand.

"Jason" she whispered and he noticed the look in her eyes. She had something to say that was important. A trait he had become familiar with in the nearly forty-eight hours he'd known her. It was the look she would give Cameron when she would tell him calmly to eat his lunch. It was also the look she gave him when he hung up from calling Carly to play the trick on her. Whatever it was, she was serious. He set her down and waited.

"Jason, I didn't say I love you. I said I think I am falling in love with you. That's real easy to say right now because we are in this place" and she used her arm to sweep through the air.

He followed her arm past the Floridian, the Wedding Gazebo, the Polynesian and the monorail depot. Her arm continued and so did his awareness of all she was pointing out. He could see the campfire burning at Fort Wilderness and the Contemporary hotel. Then as her arm made the full three sixty he stopped where the top of the castle caught his attention. He could see someone on a high wire with a spotlight shining brightly on her sliding down from the top of the castle out of his line of sight beneath the trees. He immediately understood what she meant.

A Pixie is flying down from a castle. They are not in the real world. Their romance, short lived as it was, has not been about them or their real life. It has been about magic. The fantasy of who they imagine each other to be. Who they want themselves to be. Their time has been about hiding away from reality. And suddenly he knew she was right.

She was right about throwing his money around. He doesn't do romantic boat rides and limos. He couldn't remember the last time he sent roses to _anyone._ Actually, the last time he could remember even _giving _roses to someone was his grandmother Lila and he had picked them out of her own rose garden. He doesn't take long walks on the beach and rent suites at extravagant hotels. He eats lunch at diners and rides his motorcycle. He prefers seedy bars like Jakes instead of the fancy pub they went to tonight. His choice for a hotel is actually a motel where there is no 'Turn-down Service' or fully stocked mini bars and certainly no 'Room Service' unless you want a paid companion for the night.

Then there was his line of work. She would never accept him outside the walls of this manmade paradise. How could she? He hasn't even carried his gun while he has been with her. Well, not his Glock anyway. He always had his twenty-two tucked in his boot.

How could he allow her to insinuate her and her son into the cruel world he lived in. Like Michael said, he always did find them but it was his and Sonny's enemies that had always forced him to look for them in the first place. He didn't want that for Elizabeth and Cameron.

Reality smacked him hard and he fell to his knees in the sand. Concerned for the paleness his skin had turned and the suddenly saddened look in his eyes, she was afraid he misunderstood her meaning. She walked up to him and cradled his head against her stomach. After a brief moment, his arms came up and squeezed around her waist.

Stroking her fingers through his sandy blonde locks she spoke. "Jason, what I am trying to say is that now that we know that we'll be living so close to each other, I would like to take this slow. I want to find out if the intensity of my feelings for you here are still there when we have to live our normal lives. When you have a bad day at the office or I am cranky because Cameron has gotten in trouble in school, I want to see if we still want to be around each other then. Can you understand what I am saying?"

Jason pulled her down into his lap and then shifted so that his legs were straight out in front of him. He hugged her tight and leaned into her neck to smell the unique scent he was fast becoming used to.

"Elizabeth, there's a lot about me that you don't know. You are right when you say that this place is…is…not real."

"That's what I mean. I want to get to know you outside of this place. Where it IS real."

"I want the same thing but…my life" he trailed off. He knew he needed to tell her but knew she would run screaming when he did. Quickly he decided tomorrow. He would sit her down and tell her tomorrow. Tonight, he would hold her. And so he did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth woke up in Jason's bed. She could feel his arms around her. She let out a sigh of content and his grip tightened around her.

"Good morning" his voice was heavy with sleep. It was sexy and she felt the butterflies start their dance.

"Good morning to you. What time is it?" she asked as she placed a light kiss to his forearm that was cradling her head.

"I think it's probably around six. The sun just came up about ten minutes ago." He responded then moved her hair so that he could leave a trail of kisses down her neck. She moaned her pleasure.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked rolling in his arms to face him.

He leaned down placing the lightest of a kiss on her lips. He pulled his head back and looked above her resting his chin on top of her head. "All night."

"What?" she sat straight up and turned fully to look at him. "You didn't sleep at all?"

He shifted and sat up leaning his back and head against the headboard. "No. I couldn't sleep."

"Why didn't you wake me? Was I snoring? Did _**I **_keep you up?" she asked, concern and confusion etched across her face.

Jason lifted his hand and brushed a stray curl from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "No, I was just thinking."

Here it comes. She knew there was something on his mind and she knew it was important. Since they spoke on the beach and she said she wanted to get to know him in the real world instead of this fantasy land, he had started to say something. Something about his life but then stopped and just hugged her tight to his body. He held her for what seemed like hours before finally asking her to just let him hold her for the night. She felt the sudden emptiness of his words and knew that this would be their last night together so she said yes. They walked quietly up to his suite and after checking on the boys and wrapping Michael in a blanket on the couch, he pulled her into his room, laid her down on the bed and cradled her in his arms.

Everytime she tried to speak he would kiss her. He never tried to deepen the kiss or make any advancements. He just held her and rubbed light circles on her arms and her back. He brushed her hair with his fingers and watched her. She was lulled to sleep in his arms by his gentleness. A feeling she had never truly felt in a man's arms before. A feeling that now, in the light of day, she knew she didn't want to give up.

What could it be that had him so worried, distant, desperate? Was he married? He said he wasn't and she believed him. Michael had confirmed that and she knew kids innately tell the truth. Also, Letecia and Reginald never acted awkward last night around her. They never acted like they were the friend who knew the wife and were carefully choosing words so as not to blow his cover.

Maybe it was her. She's a single mother who lives paycheck to paycheck. He had told her a little about his family and certainly she would not be someone they would approve of to accompany their son to the country club or whatever rich people do. Then again, he said he never really spends time with them and doesn't care what they think. Maybe it was what he thought. Maybe after finding out that she would be so close, he wouldn't be able to avoid her. Being distant he could sneak off and see her whenever he wanted to. Maybe he wanted a relationship but wanted it to be long distance so that he didn't have to commit to her and Cam for more than a weekend here and there.

"I don't think I want to hear..." She said quietly and turned around to swing her legs off the bed. She sat gripping the edge of the bed like she was sitting in purgatory being asked to stand and be led to Hell instead of Heaven. She let out a long sigh of desperation as her head dropped.

"Hear what?" he interrupted putting his hand on her shoulder. She winced at his touch. She knew she should be stronger. She knew she had built this fantasy up in her mind. She should be able to stand, walk away and lead her and Cameron back to their life. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to know what he had to say. Whatever it was, she was sure it wasn't going to be 'marry me' or 'I love you' or 'let me be the one who holds you in our bed every night for the rest of our life' or to be the man that Cameron called 'Daddy' or to have more children created out of love, with him. Those were all things he had said to her in her dreams last night as she slept in his arms.

"Whatever you have to say to me about your life outside of Disney World, can it please wait just one more day? Can I please stay in this dream I am having? I know we have to face reality soon but Jason" she turned around and saw a look she hadn't seen in his eyes before. Regret. "I don't want this to end. But I can see that it will. I'm sorry I'm not…"

She trailed off. She just could not mouth the words that were so familiar. She wasn't enough. She has never been enough. Not for her parents, her Grams, Steven, her sister, any man she gave herself to. They always wanted more. Expected more than she was. Cameron was the only one to accept her fully and she figured his time of unconditional love was fleeting. He would grow up and discover his mother was nothing special.

"Elizabeth, I don't know what you are thinking but it certainly isn't you. YOU are not the reason this dream will end." And she wasn't.

As he held her in his arms last night he wondered what it would be like to live the life she had suggested. She had drifted off to sleep and he wondered out loud what it would be like to have Cameron call him 'Daddy' and to create more children with her, to be the one to hold her in their bed every night for the rest of their lives, to tell her 'I love you', to marry her. Then silently he imagined her screaming in fear because one of Anthony Zacharra's men held a gun to her head, or to Cameron's. His dream shattered to reality and he held her tighter, afraid to let go.

Her grumpiness because of Cameron's tantrums was simple, laughable even. However, his bad day at the office had nothing to do with traffic or contract negotiations. It wasn't funny. A bad day at the office for him was coming home with bullet wounds, stab wounds, blood on his hands, a death on his conscience. A bad day for him was sitting in the PCPD in shackles waiting for Diane to work her magic and get him released on bail or getting the charges dropped by some loop hole instead of the fact that he was innocent. Because he never was.

"Jason, do we have to talk about this?" she asked as she moved over and trailed her finger across his chest. Drawing an imaginary 'S' like Morgan so readily believed was there because to him, this man before her was Superman.

"No" he said quietly. "Not now but we can't act like the world isn't out there waiting for us. If I could stay here, right here, with you…Nothing would make me happier to…" he trailed off. If she is willing to give them one more day, so was he. "One more day. That's all I ask for is one more day with you."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss deepened and sparked a need within him. He needed her. He didn't just want her, he needed her. He pulled back and looked down into her eyes and saw desire. "Elizabeth, let me make love to you."

"Please" she whispered and that was all he needed.

They made love with intensity. Their bodies moved with precision. Their passion was infused with hunger and need. He was rough and brutal in one minute, then sensual and tender the next. She allowed him to explore her and though she wasn't real experienced, she satisfied him more than he had ever been. They tasted and touched and tantalized every inch of each other and when they were spent, they caressed each other with familiarity. They held everything they ever wanted in their arms.


	12. Chapter 12

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 12

Elizabeth lay in Jason's arms happy. She didn't regret making love to this man. She always held to her conviction of 'No One Night Stands' since her disastrous encounter a few months after Cameron was born but this felt right. Making love to Jason Morgan felt right. It was a dream she never wanted to wake up from. However, life doesn't allow you to dream forever. Time marches on so as she heard the familiar ramblings and movements in the living area of the suite, she sighed and moved from his arms encasement.

Jason tensed and held her tight to him but then heard the pitter patter of little feet and knew they would not be able to explain why Uncle Jason and Mommy were naked in bed together to Morgan and Cameron. Michael…well…he's probably got ideas but it certainly wasn't his job to talk to him about those things. So he let Elizabeth go and moved himself off the opposite side of the bed. He reached to the floor and pulled the boxers and jeans on that he had removed an hour earlier.

As he was reaching for his shirt, he caught a glimpse of Elizabeth heading to the door. She turned, looked at him and smiled.

"Hey, come here." He said stretching out his arms to wrap another hug around her.

She gladly met him at the end of the bed and fell back into his chest and he kissed the top of her head. "I need to go do something. Can you order breakfast for all of us to have here in the room and I'll be back in a few minutes? I'll need to go out to take care of this but I won't be long. I should be back before breakfast arrives."

"Sure" she said pulling her head back to look up at him. "Is everything alright?"

"Right here, right now, everything is perfect." He captured her lips in the softest of caresses.

He finally pulled away to go into the bathroom while she went out to check on the little ones and order breakfast. She came back in a few minutes later asking what he wanted for breakfast but he was gone. He had left while she was in the other restroom and it saddened her that he left without saying goodbye.

She knew he'd be back because his nephews were here, it was his suite and she felt deep in her soul that Jason Morgan was not the 'hit and run' type but still….he could have said he was leaving. He could have given her another kiss before walking out the door. He could have said goodbye.

She ordered him a large breakfast with scrambled eggs since she didn't know how else he may like them. Everyone loves scrambled eggs. Knowing he was from the north, she didn't think he would eat grits. She had tried them once and while okay, they were not something she would intentionally order for herself. She ordered him hashbrowns and bacon with a side of pancakes. She figured he might be hungry after their romp that morning and made safe choices in feeding him. For the kids, they all wanted pancakes. Knowing they were going to spend their day at one or more of the parks, the sugar rush wouldn't hurt them. For herself, a bowl of mixed seasonal fruit was all she wanted. And a hot chocolate. She needed her sugar buzz too.

As promised, Jason walked back into the hotel suite a mere twenty minutes after she noticed him gone. The four year olds immediately hopped up from their cartoons and excitedly jumped up and down at the two large stuffed Pluto's he carried in with him. Once the little ones were happily climbing all over their new prizes that were easily their size, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Disney credit card for Michael. His only explanation was that Michael was old enough to choose his own gift. The twelve year old delightedly accepted the card thanking him for not bringing him some stupid kiddie toy.

Elizabeth was warmed by Jason's inclusion of her own son with his gift giving but a little baffled at his obvious exclusion of her. It wasn't greed or selfishness that brought on the slight frown, just conjecture. Jason noticed the puzzled and slightly dismayed look on her face and had to turn his head so she wouldn't see the knowing smile threatening to give premature knowledge of the gift he had gotten for her. For that was the sole reason for his brief departure.

"That was really nice of you Jason. You didn't have to include Cameron. Thank you." She said as she walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He wrapped his arms around her as he watched the three boys individually enjoy their gifts.

"Yeah well…I had promised Morgan and it dawned on me this morning that I needed to follow through on the promise before I forgot about it." He replied looking over her head as he pulled her in tighter to his chest. "Did you order breakfast?"

"Yes but I didn't know what you wanted. I was…I was a little surprised you left without saying something."

"I wanted to get back as soon as possible. I missed having you in my arms." He leaned down and gave her a long drawn out kiss that elicited a gaggle of 'ewwwws' from the four year olds and a roll of the eyes from the older child.

"Well, I didn't know what you would want to eat so I guessed. I hope you like it." She said pulling from his embrace and sitting at the small table. She picked up the guest information book that housed the room service menu and opened it. "I ordered you this" and she pointed at the 'Belle's Hungry Beast' breakfast.

Jason laughed at the name but nodded his head approvingly, "I'm sure whatever you ordered me will be fine."

Breakfast arrived and once everyone had eaten, Elizabeth and Cameron headed down to their room to shower and get dressed for their day as Jason and the Corinthos boys did likewise. Thirty minutes later, all four boys were standing in the hallway waiting for Elizabeth to come out of her and Cameron's room.

"How come we have to stay here? I liked my sleepover last night at your room." Cameron said as he watched and followed every movement Jason made.

"Well the boys and I did too. Maybe we'll do that again tonight. No promises though. We have to ask your mom." Jason replied as he put his right foot up on the wall and leaned back crossing his arms over his chest.

He noticed Cameron mimic the action so he tested the boy. Each adjustment and movement he made, Cameron watched and then followed suit. Jason smiled at the obvious display of approval Cameron was giving him. If he wanted to act like him, then he must like him and if Cameron liked him, that was one less hurdle to a relationship with Elizabeth.

He knew that was a big hurdle but certainly not the biggest he would face. Once he told her of his and Sonny's _real business_, she would probably never want to see him again. However, if by some prayer of a chance she didn't run screaming, the hurdles still waited for them in Port Charles. Carly being a rather big one and the ostracizing Elizabeth would most likely face being connected to Jason. Crimson Point was so close she would feel the glares and hear the whispers of the towns 'good' people that constantly looked down their noses at he and Sonny and their family even though they secretly enjoyed the towns security The Corinthos organization afforded the town like keeping drugs and gangs out.

Elizabeth finally made her way out of the hotel room dressed in simple shorts, tennis shoes and a t-shirt. Jason smiled because no matter what she wore, she looked beautiful. Clasping her hand in his, they all headed to the elevator to start their day and toward the secret surprise Jason had arranged to be waiting for Elizabeth.

XXXXXXXXX

Their morning had been full of fun. Jason and Elizabeth openly displayed their comfort and attraction to each other and after the first hour, the boys stopped the groaning and crying 'ewwws' every time they kissed.

First stop was the Magic Kingdom. They all wanted to ride Splash Mountain and the Pirates of the Caribbean. Then they wanted to then ride the smaller rides like Peter Pan's Flight, It's a Small World and Cinderella's Golden Carousel. When they stepped in to the round room of The Haunted Mansion and the ghostly haunting sound came through the speakers, Morgan immediately became scared. Jason had a feeling this might happen but had never been on the ride before so he took a chance. He immediately picked up the boy and walked over to the Disney employee and explained that he and the boy needed to go somewhere else to wait for his group to finish their ride. The attendant had obviously experienced this before and led him out a small door and they were ushered to an area at the end of the ride to wait for Elizabeth, Michael and Cameron.

Then they went to have lunch at The Crystal Palace on their way out of the park. There they ate off of a buffet which Jason was not thrilled about but the kids loved. Also, as they ate, Winnie the Pooh, Daisy and Donald Duck, Jasmine and Aladdin and several other Disney characters came to the table to entertain the two little ones. Each time Jason and Michael groaned but Elizabeth, Morgan and Cameron squealed with delight each time a new character came into view. In all, they were having a wonderful day and seeing Elizabeth and the kids smiling was all Jason needed to enjoy his time too.

They rode the monorail over to Epcot and took in the sights of that park. Jason and Michael really enjoyed the Spaceship Earth Pavilion and everyone enjoyed The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Honey I shrunk the Audience was a blast and even Jason had a hard time not becoming excited as the show progressed. They rode many other rides touring around the park but once three o'clock hit, Jason insisted they go to The World Showcase around the lake. He wanted to go to Italy and none of them could talk him out of it.

Once they got there, Jason sat the kids down on the wall of a fountain and walked Elizabeth over to a small area near them that was roped off. Inside the rope was a table next to an easel with a blank canvas and a big red bow tied around it. On the table was every different type of art supply Elizabeth could imagine. The setting was just along the lake next to a small bridge and a gondola docked at the base of it.

"This morning, when I went out…well, this is the real reason why." He said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I hope you like it."

"Oh Jason, you didn't have to do this." She said as she leaned her head back against his shoulder and wrapped her arms over top of his around her waist.

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to. This morning while you were sleeping, I thought about the things you told me and remember how much you wanted to paint in Italy some day. Even though it's not the real thing, I wanted to give you this. You enjoy yourself and the boys and I are going to go do some more sightseeing." He pulled away from her and reached over on the table to a cell phone. "This cell phone is yours and it has my number in it. Call me when you are done and the boys and I will head back to get you and then we'll have dinner. If you decide to stay longer, call me and I'll feed the boys. The attendant here…"and he pointed to the man that had opened the rope for them, "will get you anything you need. If you are hungry, thirsty, want more supplies or anything, just let him know and he'll take care of it. Enjoy yourself."

With that he gave her a long kiss. He purposefully kept it tame because he had already been becoming aroused by the feel of her pressed fully against his body. She had no words other than "Thank you" and a few words to Cameron to behave and listen to Jason and Michael.

She got lost in what she was doing. She had the attendant get her more canvas and she painted until she noticed it was dark out. She picked up the cell phone Jason had left for her and called him. He said the kids had been hungry and he already fed them because he figured since she hadn't called that he would at least feed the boys and maybe they could have a late dinner together. She agreed and asked him to come back so that they could head to the hotel.

Jason made reservations at Narcoossee's which was another fine dining restaurant located in The Floridian. The reservationist assured him there would not be any harpists. He asked for a table in the corner and she agreed he would get one at their nine o'clock reservation time. He then told Elizabeth that he wanted to stop in the boutique at the hotel and buy her a special dress for their evening. Again she insisted that he didn't need to spend so much money and that the dress she wore for her interview would be fine but he insisted. He said he was even going to buy a new button up shirt to wear for the occasion.

She finally relented but in her mind she worried that this dinner and really the whole day was a precursor to whatever it was that he had to tell her. It broke her heart to think that after today he would not want to be around her anymore. She could not understand why but she felt that this was all leading up to him saying that while he was enjoying his time with her now, he could not see a future with her and her son.

She didn't understand it. Everything Jason did and said led her to believe he wanted to see if there could be a future for them. She certainly wanted that knowing that they would be living in neighboring towns. However, the loomingly ominous way he wanted 'just one more day' with her overshadowed any hope. Once again, Elizabeth Webber had built up hope for a future to be told she wasn't wanted. She was a 'One Night Stand' girl, not a woman a man would want to have a future with. Now, it was just a matter of time until this dream ended.


	13. Chapter 13

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 13

Unlucky 13

Jason and Elizabeth settled the boys with a promise of another boat ride tonight after their dinner. Michael was happy to be able to get back to the hotel room to play his new video game he bought with his Disney credit card. Cameron and Morgan had fought but then finally agreed to watch Fantasia and then The Jungle Book because Fantasia was shorter. Jason helped them come up with that plan while he waited for Elizabeth to finish getting ready.

Jason and Cameron had convinced his mother to have another 'sleepover' at 'Jason's house'. While she went down to her room to pack their things and bring them upstairs, Jason showered and shaved. She was in his room, in his shower and he had to stay on the couch because neither of them wanted to explain why Uncle Jason was in the room while Mommy was showering.

It was bad enough as Elizabeth tripped over her words that morning as to why she slept in Jason's room but Michael had saved her yet again explaining to the two young boys that there was nowhere else but the floor since he already had dibs on the couch. Being four, that seemed reasonable enough to them so they didn't ask again. However, as soon as Jason had started to head into his room after Elizabeth had gone in announcing to all of them she was going to take a shower, both boys piped up their well trained protests.

"You can't go in the room now Uncle Michael, Miss Elizabeth is a girl." Morgan stated.

"Yeah, and Mommy says that when a girl is in the bathroom it's a 'Girls' bathroom and boys aren't allowed." Cameron added.

So Jason turned back around mumbling how he 'forgot she was in there and just needed his watch' and sat back down on the couch next to Michael. Michael jabbed his uncle in the ribs and laughed at the deep frown on the older man's face.

"Uncle Jason, you know you should have planned better. If you had gone to help her while Elizabeth was down packing, well…." and the twelve year old left it at that. He certainly didn't need to explain any further to his uncle. He became quite amused as he watched in the corner of his eye as his uncle started to say something, pondered, nodded that Michael had a good point, then turned his frown deeper. All wordless but reading his uncles facial expressions had become easy through the years.

"For a twelve year old, you seem to be much better at these things than me. And it hasn't gone unnoticed that you are treading into _adult_ situations with this. I am not sure what…" Jason was interrupted

"Uncle Jason. You are such a dweeb. I am twelve, not two. I already had health class about sex and stuff. Even though its…well…gross and all, Dad talked to me and Jax. I watch tv and stuff."

"Oh" Jason responded, not really sure where to go with this conversation. "Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No, no offense but after watching you this week, I don't think I'll be taking pointers from you. Dad is much better at it. So is Jax. Heck, so is Tommy Johnson."

"Yeah but I think I do okay." He said and stood up when Elizabeth walked out of the room. A simple lavender sundress to match the dark purple button down dress shirt Jason wore with his black jeans. Her hair was pinned back on the sides but cascaded in large chocolate curls down the center of her back. It stole his breath when she walked out of the room.

He looked back down at Michael tilting his head toward Elizabeth, "See what I mean?"

"Yeah, but you're still a dweeb." Michael responded with a huge smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At dinner, Jason thanked Elizabeth for finding the shirt for him. She laughed as he explained that he doesn't remember ever buying his own clothes. Carly usually shopped for him and since he really doesn't vary in his style, he didn't need much. She thanked him for the dress and he told her how beautiful it looked on her.

Their conversation was easy and light. They continued from earlier talks about her family and his. They discussed the kids and art. He talked more about riding his motorcycle and she talked more about her upcoming job and how excited she was to start.

Once their entrée arrived, they were back into the comfortable silence they both seemed to treasure with each other. Each sneaking glances at each other and when their eyes would meet they would laugh. When the waiter asked if they wanted dessert, Jason asked for coffee, black and Elizabeth asked for the Death By Chocolate souflee. His eyes widened and she smiled with a shrug.

Finally it was time to leave the restaurant and Jason was fidgeting. She noticed his worried expression and finally gave in to their silence. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you or will you put it off longer?"

"What?" he asked, taken by surprise. He wasn't ready for this.

"Look Jason, you have been wonderful but obviously there is something you have to tell me. I know you said you wanted to see me and maybe date after we left here but now that you know I'll be living so close, you….I have no regrets if this is it."

"It has nothing to do with how close you will be living. Well, maybe it does but it's not what you are thinking. I have" he stopped his words as the waiter stepped up to their table.

"Will there be anything else Sir, Madam?"

In unison they both said "No thank you" and Jason opened the small booklet that held the check and pulled cash from his pocket to pay. The waiter took the cash filled booklet, bowed and thanked them and walked away.

"Elizabeth, why don't we go upstairs to talk. We can talk out on the balcony. There is a lot I need to tell you. I probably should have done this before because I think you are getting the wrong idea. Just to be clear, you are not the problem, there is not another woman and I still DO want to see you and date you and whatever else you'll allow."

"Then what could it be?" she asked standing as he pulled her chair out and placed his hand on her elbow to guide her out of the restaurant.

"In private" was all he said as they walked for the elevator.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once the elevator door opened on their floor, Jason pulled back. The two men at the end of the hallway saw him, stood and started walking toward him. Quickly he turned Elizabeth, "You remember what room number Letecia is in right? Call her immediately; she'll take care of the boys. She'll know what to do and here," he pulled his money clip from his pocket and pulled the entire wad of cash from it and stuffed it in her hand, "take this. It will pay for anything you and Cameron need and there should be enough to pay for your plane tickets and all. The suite is paid for and you can stay as long as you like, I'm sorry about this."

Elizabeth was puzzled. She kept looking from the men slowly walking closer and Jason's expression. His words were taking longer to register than he had said them but when Jason stepped out of the elevator and immediately placed his hands up on the wall facing it, she gasped. He cringed at that sound but now was not the time to explain. His job now was to be silent and it was a trait he had learned years ago.

"Jason?" Elizabeth said trembling as she watched the two men immediately pull a set of handcuffs and start patting him down. He never looked at her, he just stared straight at the wall in front of him. He never said a word.


	14. Chapter 14

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 14

Realizing Jason wasn't going to talk or look at her, Elizabeth tried to ask the two gentlemen what was going on. They didn't help either. One was dressed in an Orange County Sherriff's Department uniform and the other in a pair of khaki pants and a polo shirt but she clearly was able to read his badge. Detective Alvarez, Port Charles Police Department.

Neither man responded to Elizabeth's numerous requests to tell her why Jason was being arrested. They simply, cuffed him, patted him down, read Jason his Miranda Rights and walked him into the elevator. The last thing she saw was Jason, standing between the two men as the elevator doors were closing. He would not look into her eyes, he just stared straight above her head, mouth clamped shut. He had not said one word after telling her to get Letecia and handing her the money. His face took on an expression she hadn't seen in the seventy two hours she had known him. It wasn't sad or mad or even bewilderment. It was nothing. As if he was dead. It gave Elizabeth a chill down her spine.

The only sign of any emotion he showed since the elevator doors had opened was when she gasped at the handcuffs and then again when she gasped once they removed the gun from his boot. He had dropped his head both times and she thought she saw him wince as if he were in pain. The whole situation unsettled her but Jason's complete change, as if he became someone else, was what disturbed her the most.

Elizabeth stood, staring at the closed elevator doors for what seemed like hours. Actually, only five minutes went by but she was frozen. The elevator doors opened and her heart jumped. Maybe this was a mistake or she was imagining it. A lump grew in her throat when Letecia and Reginald walked off with worried looks on their faces.

"Elizabeth? Are you okay?" Reginald asked as Letecia walked by them straight faced, without a word, and went to the door of the suite.

"Uh, Jason…he…he…he got arrested." She finally announced.

"Yeah, we saw him being walked out in the lobby. That's why we are up here." Reginald replied.

"Do you know why? He wouldn't talk to me and the police officers wouldn't tell me either." She asked pleading with her eyes for him to make some sense of this craziness.

"No but…well…one of the officers was from Port Charles so I suppose he is here taking Jason back home. That's the only thing I can figure for why he would be here. I am sure it's nothing he won't get out of though." Reginald responded somewhat hesitantly. The way Elizabeth looked and sounded, Jason had not told her of his mob business or the fact that he gets arrested as often as most people go grocery shopping. If Jason hadn't told her, he certainly wasn't going to be the one to let her in on his dirty life.

Elizabeth held her hand up displaying the large wad of cash, "He handed me all this money and told me to call Letecia. He said she would know what to do to take care of the boys and that I should use his money to pay for Cameron and my plane tickets home."

"Well, then obviously that's what he wants us to do. Did he say anything else?" Reginald asked as he patted her cash filled hand and pushed it back toward her body.

"He just said to get Letecia to take care of the boys and that his room is paid for and this money" she lifted her hand up again "should pay for anything Cameron and I need and plane tickets home."

"That sounds like Jason. Well, do you need Letecia or me to do anything for you? She already called Sonny and he is getting the pilot to prepare the plane. We are taking the boys home tonight. I need to go help her pack up their stuff, we have a bellhop on his way up now with a cart."

"Uh, here…can you give this back to Jason? I don't want his money. I will probably just get Cameron and go down to our room. I'll get our tickets changed to first thing tomorrow morning. I guess." She didn't know what to say and was becoming aggravated at the fact that Reginald would not take the money from her hand.

"No, Jason wanted you to have that money. You keep it." Reginald said and stuffed both of his hands in his pockets as a sign that he would not take the money.

"Do you know what's going on? I mean, you and Letecia seem pretty calm and I feel like throwing up. Did you know Jason has a gun? The police pulled it from his boot."

"I honestly don't know why they are arresting him. I mean…I guess you'll have to ask him. He didn't even speak to Letecia or me when we saw him down in the lobby. Jason has always carried a gun though. Usually more than one. He has a license for it though." He stopped and looked at her. She was trembling. Her chin was quivering but she was trying not to show it. "Um…are you sure you are going to be okay? I mean you kind of seem…"

"Shocked? Mortified? Baffled? Upset? Confused? Angry?" she spat out the words explaining all the emotions she was feeling inside.

She was shocked that he was arrested. What did he do that would cause him to be arrested? She was mortified when she saw the officer produce the gun from his boot. What if her little boy had gotten hold of it? She was baffled because no one knew why he was being arrested yet Jason didn't seem surprised at all. She was upset because their evening and really the past three days had been so wonderful. To end like this was tragic. She was confused because all three adults were truly acting like strangers to her. First Jason became a different person. Then Letecia walks by without a word when the two girls were giggling like high school best friends just the day before. Now Reginald, who seemed like he and Jason really knew each other well and was very open to her is now stonewalling. Finally she was angry. Whatever was going on, they were purposely keeping her in the dark about it. Jason obviously had something to tell her but this was certainly not what she expected.

Had she slept with, spent time with, let her little boy around a criminal?

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"DA Lansing asked me to come get you Jason. We knew where you were but when you didn't come back with Carly…He's filing attempted murder charges on you for Claudia Zacharra's car being tampered with and her almost being killed in the accident."

Detective Alvarez removed Jason's handcuffs, pulled his arms around to the front then recuffed him. He sat Jason down in the seat and buckled the seat belt on him. Next, Alvarez placed a newspaper over Jason's wrists then gave a nod to the stewardess. Soon passengers started filing on to the plane, stowing away carry on luggage and taking their seats. Alvarez settled down into the seat next to Jason and buckled himself in. He knew this would be a long silent ride back to Port Charles.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth walked in the hotel suite, Jason's hotel suite, behind Reginald. Letecia had already packed everything with Michael's help. The teenager looked like he had been crying but his eyes were dry and blank. He studiously moved about the room picking up items and placing them in Reginald's hands. Reginald and the bellhop were placing all the luggage, toys and odds and ends on the rolling luggage cart.

Letecia finally walked out of the room where Cameron and Morgan were left watching movies. Morgan was asleep on her shoulder and Elizabeth instinctively walked over and brushed her hand over his back and ran a finger down his face. "Sleep well little guy. I…it was really great meeting you and I know Cameron had a good time playing with you the last couple of days."

"Michael, get your backpack, we need to get going. Your father's plane is waiting for us and the limo is already downstairs." Letecia instructed the young boy. She then looked at Elizabeth. "I am sure Mr. Mor…Jason would want you to stay here. Cameron is already asleep so there's no need waking him. Is there anything we can do for you before we go?"

"You can tell me why Jason got…" she looked over at Michael and let out the rest of her breath. Whatever happened, she wasn't going to heap the burdens on the shoulders of a twelve year old. "We'll be fine. It was really nice meeting you all. Take care."

She hugged the woman with the four year old in her arms. Then she turned to face the door. Michael lunged into her arms giving her a big hug. "Miss Elizabeth, I know Uncle Jason likes you. Please don't be mad at him. The cops are stupid. Uncle Jason will fix this and well…when are you moving?"

"Two-weeks from tomorrow. Michael, I am not mad at your Uncle. I don't know what happened but I want you to know that none of this is yours or Morgan's fault. You be happy. I am really glad I got to meet a special person like you Michael Corinthos." She kissed his forehead because he was almost as tall as her. "Now you guys get going and don't worry about me or Cameron. We are just fine."

"Okay, tell Cam that Morgan and I said goodbye. Hey, maybe when you move we can all get together and go play at the park or something. I know Uncle Jason would like to do that." He said hopeful he was convincing her. He had gotten to know her and had seen how happy his uncle had been. He hadn't seen his uncle that happy for a long time and knew it was because of Elizabeth that he had been over the past few days.

"We'll see but if not, I want you and Morgan to know that Cam and I had a great few days with you guys. Your mother and father should be proud of how well behaved and smart you two are." She replied and gently turned and pushed the boy toward the door where Reginald, Letecia and a slumbering Morgan were. "Bye"

They all left and with one last glance in her direction, Reginald nodded and shut the door. Elizabeth went to where Cameron was asleep and decided she WOULD stay in the suite. She didn't want to wake Cam. She walked to the other bedroom, lay down on the bed and cried.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jason, I already have your bail set and Bernie is bringing the money now." Diane Miller, the Corinthos-Morgan attorney said as he walked into the PCPD, cuffs refastened behind him and Lucky Spencer and Alvarez on either side.

"Fine Diane. How long? I need to make a phone call." Jason said.

"Officers, have you not allowed my client his right to a phone call?" Diane quipped.

"He just got in to town Ms. Miller. And you are here. What more do you want?" Lucky replied angrily.

"I WANT you to stop harassing my clients. Honestly, Jason Morgan is the one that saved Ms. Zacharra from the burning car. You have no proof that my client was anything but an upstanding citizen coming to the aid of a woman in danger after driving off the road." She snapped back.

Jason stood silent. All he could think was the look on Elizabeth's face when the elevator doors closed. He could not look her in the eyes so he focused on the door at the end of the hallway. However, he could still see her. He could hear her pleading with him to explain what was happening. He could hear her shock when they pulled the gun from his boot. He could hear the hurt in her voice. He hurt her.

He should have told her. He was selfish to want to protect himself from her inevitable disgust of him. Surely she knew by now. He knew Letecia and Reginald would not have said anything but she must have been interested and found out. It was easy enough to find out. Pick up a phone, newspaper or go on the internet and she could find out about his many arrests. His ties to the mob, though none of them had ever been proven or prosecuted with a conviction. However, he knew she would not be able to stand the sight of him once she knew. He slept with her and now she must hate him for it. He hated himself.

He walked, or rather was pushed by Lucky, into the interrogation room. He remained silent and calm because Lucky would be all too glad to slap him with a resisting charge or an assault charge. He wanted to get out of there fast. He wanted to call Elizabeth to make sure she was alright. He wanted to explain. He wanted to hold her one last time.

One last time. Why did he do these things to himself? He knew what his life was meant to be like. A woman and a child had no place in his life yet the thought of never seeing Elizabeth again was killing him. Never being able to play with Cameron or kiss Elizabeth's beautifully full lips. He groaned as the memory of Elizabeth, naked in his arms, played through his mind.

She thought it was her. She thought SHE was the reason they needed to have a talk. SHE was the reason they would never make it in the real world. What could she have possibly been thinking? She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and her personality was astonishingly innocent and fresh. She was the anti him. He was a monster and she was an angel.

Beauty and the Beast. He laughed at that thought.

"Something funny over there Morgan?" Lucky growled.

Jason snapped back to reality. Lucky and he never really got along. The good versus the evil yet the bad guys always won. Lucky made it his life's mission to take Jason down but Jason always seemed to get out of it. Nothing stuck.

An hour later, Mac walked in with Diane smiling behind him. "Jason, you're free to go. Here is your stuff that Alvarez took off of you at the Orange County Sherriff's office.

He handed Jason a ziplock bag that held his wallet, his gun, a Disney ticket, his knife, his cell phone and a small velvet box. In the box was a necklace made of fourteen carat gold with a gold pendant on it. A castle to remember their time at Disney. He was planning to give it to her that night.

Well, last night. It had to be six in the morning by now. Maybe later. He fell asleep on the plane so he was unaware of how long they were on the plane, whether it had been delayed, how long the flight was or if it was even a direct one.

"Diane, what time is it?" Jason asked. If it was early he might catch her if he took the small lear jet. He needed to be the one to explain this. Regardless of her reaction, he needed to do it face to face.

"It's eight-thirty in the morning Jason. I am sure you are tired. I'll call Sonny and let him know what's up."

"I need to get back to Orlando." He stated as he shoved all of his belongings into his pockets. Mac still held his gun. He looked up, took the gun from his hand and placed it in the waistband of his pants behind his back.

"Jason, you are out on bail. You can't leave the state without permission from Ric and I doubt he'll give it to you." Mac stated somewhat apologetically. He knew this was another one of Ric's attempts at getting Morgan away from his brother so that he could weasel himself into his brothers graces. It was a pathetic attempt but being the DA, he had lots of pull which is why Mac HAD to send Alvarez down to get Jason. He had protested but in the end, he had to do what the DA said.

"Mac, I need to go back…never mind. You know this is wrong." He pointed his finger at Lucky, "What all of you are doing is wrong. You are letting Ric play his twisted game with me."

He finished gathering his things, the last one being the velvet box. "Come on Lucky, or are you not the one who will be following me today?"

With that last comment, he didn't look at anyone. He simply walked straight out of the police station into the waiting SUV where Max was waiting to drive him home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth had spent the morning explaining over and over to Cameron that Jason had an emergency and had to leave. Michael and Morgan had to go with him. Cameron didn't understand why they didn't say goodbye. Why they didn't go on the boat ride and why Jason wasn't here when he woke up. It broke her heart that her little boy had become just as attached to Jason as she had.

She scheduled her flight and paid with her own nearly maxed out credit card. She wasn't going to use Jason's money. It felt wrong, like the money was tainted. She had cried all night and at one point got mad and tore the money up but then had the foresight to tape it back up and place it in her luggage. She would return it to him by way of a casheir's check from her bank. Once she got to Crimson Point she would find out where his company was and mail it to him with a note. She had no idea what she would say to him but knew she would not be able to turn away if she were face to face with him. Somehow, in seventy two hours, Jason Morgan had crept into her heart. Now it was breaking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were walking through the airport when she was stopped in her tracks. The headlines on the New York Times read

CORINTHOS MOB TRIES TO TAKE OUT ZACHARRA MOB HEIR

and there, on the front page was a picture of Jason Morgan.

Her hand shook as she put the money in the man's hand and took the newspaper off the shelf.

"Mommy, that's Jason" Cameron squealed excitedly. "What did he do? Is he a hero? Morgan says he's really Superman."

Barely hearing her son, she walked them over to the waiting area for their flight and read the first part of the article.

**Jason Morgan, alleged mob enforcer**

**for the Corinthos Organization was**

**arrested last night in Orlando, Florida.**

**The hit man was vacationing at**

**Disney World when the case broke. **

**District Attorney Ric Lansing of the City**

**of Port Charles charges that Mr. Morgan cut**

**brake lines of Claudia Zacharra's, daughter**

**of reputed mob boss Anthony Zacharra,**

**car and then watched as she careened off**

**of a cliff last Thursday. He then left**

**town with mob kingpen Sonny Corinthos'**

**ex-wife, Carly Jacks and their two sons.**

**It was reported that Jason Morgan was also**

**recuperating from a stab wound from the same**

**incident. It is not apparent whether the stab**

**wound was caused by Ms. Zacharra or **

**someone else. The Zacharra family attorney**

**has given their usual "No Comment" to all**

**inquiries.**

**In an interesting twist, District Attorney**

**Richard Lansing is the son of Trevor**

**Lansing, the Zacharra family attorney**

**and the half brother of mob kingpin Sonny**

**Corinthos. It has been widely rumored that**

**he and Jason Morgan have a hate/hate **

**relationship and have violently crossed paths**

**before. In 2006 Mr. Lansing charged Jason**

**Morgan with attempted murder for his own**

**brutal beating but quickly dropped the charges.**

Elizabeth dropped the paper to her lap. She and Cameron were waiting for their flight back to Colorado which was scheduled for ten am. Cameron was busying himself with the life size Pluto and the motorcycle Morgan had given him the day before.

Elizabeth was in shock. Jason Morgan was in the mob and hated Ric Lansing. Her one regret. Her one night stand. How could she move to the neighboring town with both of them there.

Elizabeth Webber was scared.


	15. Chapter 15

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 15

"**Spinelli!"** Jason yelled as he walked in the Penthouse #2 door of Harborview Towers.

Jason had lived there for many years off and on. It was a three bedroom penthouse with another room called maid's quarters. To Jason it was just another bedroom but downstairs. Over the years he's had a few roommates. Most notably Brenda. His only legal wife. The one he didn't love, didn't particularly like and didn't marry for any other reason than to be the one that made hard choices when she was on her deathbed. She didn't like him either. Then there was Courtney. He loved her but she couldn't handle his life so the romance lasted just under two years and now she lived with her new husband and son on Spoon Island. Oddly, they didn't have to get divorced because it turned out they were never legally married.

Finally, there was Sam McCall. She was one of Sonny's 'flavor's of the month' that wound up pregnant with his child. In order to protect Carly and the boys, Jason first said that the baby was his. That went over like a ton of bricks. Then the truth came out but Jason promised to help her raise her son or daughter as if it were his own. Once the child was stillborn, Sam left town with the five million dollars he gave her. He hasn't heard from her since. It was for the best. She had admitted feelings for him that he simply didn't return.

Now, his roommate is the bumbling techno geek Damien Spinelli. He found Spinelli when the kid was in college and working for Alcazar on the side. He set Jason and Sonny up with a phony hard drive of illegal activities. Once Jason found him and effectively convinced him to clear their names, the kid needed protection. The kind only Jason could provide. Almost a year later, he was still here.

Spinelli walked out of the kitchen, bag of potato chips in one hand and an orange soda in the other. His head was bouncing to the beat of whatever noise was blaring through is headphones. He hadn't noticed Jason yet so he stepped in front of the boy's pathway.

"Stonecold, you have returned from your much needed retreat. Greetings. The Jackal has missed your kind yet eerily daunting presence in this, our humble abode."

Rolling his fingers to encourage the boy to get on with it, Jason hoped the soliloquy would not last too long. Once the kid stopped for air, Jason spoke up. "Spinelli, I need your help. First, I want you to find any flights from Orlando to Denver, Colorado today or tomorrow with a woman and her little boy on it. The tickets would most likely be in the name of Elizabeth Webber. Then I want you to find the address of that same Elizabeth Webber in Colorado."

"The Jackal would be most happy to do so. May I inquire as to whom this Elizabeth Webber is?"

"NO, just do what I told you. I am going upstairs to take a shower. Oh, and call Letecia to make sure the kids got back okay." Jason barked his orders as he started up the stairs.

"Why would the little Corinthos' not have made it back okay? Were you not with them?" Spinelli asked as he tapped furiously on his keyboard in the quest for the requested information.

Jason stopped at the landing and turned around. "No, I got arrested and brought back to Port Charles with one of the PCPD detectives. Ric is being an asshole again." Jason walked back down the eight steps he had just climbed. He needed to talk and as much as he hated to admit it, Spinelli had truly become a confidante. "The problem is that he ruined…well let's just say it was one of the best weeks I've had in a really long time."

"And this Elizabeth Webber is the basis of said bliss filled week?" Spinelli stopped and watched his mentor sit on the couch beside him in a saddened slump.

"Yes. She's beautiful and smart and…' he looked over at his young friend's eager expression and stopped "Just find me the information I asked for."

Spinelli turned back to his computer, as always fearful of 'the look' his master was giving. "Well…so far I have one Miss Elizabeth Webber and her young charge Cameron Webber scheduled on a flight leaving in twenty minutes from Orlando to Denver nonstop. Their arrival at the Denver airport will be three twenty our time and one twenty mountain time. I am working on her address now."

"Is it first class? How did she pay for the flight?" Jason asked sitting up and looking over the kid's shoulder.

"No, coach and paid for…with a very maxed out credit card." Spinelli responded.

"Shit, can you get her flight changed to first class this late?" Jason asked grimacing at the fact that she didn't use his money as he had asked her to.

"Why of course Master, the grasshopper can do anything his master desires when it comes to all of cyberspace."

"Do it, and get a limo to the airport in Denver to pick her and her son up. Make sure the driver has a dozen roses from me waiting for her. And credit back her credit card for any charges she has had from her flight to Orlando and any other charges since she got there. I'll pay for everything."

"That should be easy enough. Wait…there. She should be notified she is in the wrong seat post haste. She and her little one shall fly first class. Now let me work on the limo and then I'll relieve her credit card of this weeks expenditures."

"Thank you, let me know when it's done and when you have the rest of the information I asked for. Now I am going to take that shower."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Miss Webber, it seems your boarding pass was incorrect. Your seating is not correct. Please come with me." The flight attendant announced.

"Oh, okay. Come on Cameron. We have to move."

"Okay Mommy." The little boy unbuckled his seat belt and pulled his Pluto along the aisle with him.

"Where are we going?" Elizabeth asked noticing the attendant heading through the curtains to First Class.

"Your seats were upgraded to First Class. Your seats are up here?" the male attendant responded holding her carry on bag in his hand.

"Oh, I didn't…why would they be upgraded?" She asked.

"I don't know ma'am but after September eleven, all passengers are re-checked to the manifest and seating once the plane is boarded. No passengers are allowed to sit anywhere but their assigned seats." The man's face grimaced at the mention of the most tragic day the country had experienced since the Kennedy Assassination.

"Well, okay but if it was a mistake and my credit card is charged for the upgrade, I didn't ask for it. I really can't afford it."

"I understand but for now, we cannot take off until you are seated in your assigned seats. These are yours." He finished as he pointed to two large comfortable seats.

"Thank you."

XXXXXXXXX

"Stonecold, these arrived for you while you were upstairs." Spinelli motioned to two large boxes and three picture boxes.

Jason walked over and noticed they were shipped from Disney. It was the art supplies and canvasses Elizabeth had painted. He hadn't seen what she painted because she said she was embarrassed but his curiosity was killing him now. He opened one of the picture boxes and pulled out a canvass. It was a picture of Cameron. He could not understand why she would be embarrassed, it was quite good. It looked just like him.

"Who is that?" Spinelli asked walking over to Jason and staring down at the curly headed little boy's likeness.

"Cameron. He's a great kid." Jason smiled. He then put it down and opened the next box.

"Stonecold, that's you!" Jason's young hacker announced. Jason smiled at the picture of him leaning over a pool table taking a shot at the red nine ball. The ball that cost him the game because she distracted him.

"May I?" Spinelli asked as he held the third picture box in his hand. Jason gave an affirmative nod. "Wow, this is amazing. Did you sit for this portrait?"

Jason looked up and watched as Spinelli pulled the canvass fully from the box and spun it around. It was a picture of Jason with Cameron sitting on his lap. Both were smiling and it looked like the Disney parade behind them. Cameron had his blue Mickey Mouse balloon tied to his wrist and his Mickey ears on his head. His heart constricted at the thought of that day. It was perfect.

Jason took the painting out of Spinelli's hand. He walked over and sat on the couch and stared at it. The only thing missing in the picture was her. This was the picture he wanted to become reality. Him, Cameron and Elizabeth happy.

"Did you get that address and the limo set up?"

"Oh yes. All is taken care of. Here is her address." He handed Jason a piece of paper.

Jason stared at the small scrap of paper. 2129 Bronco Street, Apartment B.

Jason stood and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He prayed she kept the cell phone he gave her. He never got her own cell phone number. He wondered if she had saved that cell phone if she would even answer it. He could at least leave a message and hope she got it.

Jason walked into the kitchen for privacy. '_Hey, it's Jason. I miss you. I don't know what you must be thinking right now but…well…I just miss you and I would love to be able to explain everything to you. If you get this, please call me. I don't care what time. Just…call me.'_

XXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth was surprised when she arrived at the airport. Her brother was there to pick her up but there was also a man dressed in a black suit with a limo driver cap on holding a sign 'Elizabeth and Cameron Webber'. Her brother was the first one to ask and Elizabeth had no idea. At first she thought maybe it was the art museum owners but then immediately squelched that idea. The couple didn't know when she was flying home and she had told them it would be two days ago. Then the driver pulled his other arm from behind his back and had a bouquet of red roses. Immediately her head filled with thoughts of Jason.

"Who sent you?" she asked cautiously.

"Are you Miss Webber?" the old gray haired man inquired.

"Yes. Who sent you?" she asked again.

"These are for you." He shoved the bouquet in her hand.

"Mommy, you got flowers again. They are just like the ones Jason sent." Cameron jumped up and down holding on to his overstuffed Pluto.

"Who is Jason?" Steven asked.

"Ma'am, I have a limo waiting to take you home. Compliments of Mr. Morgan. If you'll come with me, I'll take you to the car and then I can come back for your luggage."

"WHO IS JASON AND WHO IS MR. MORGAN?" Steven was becoming impatient. His little sister was never known for her sound decisions when it came to men and apparently her little trip, an extended one, had caused her to cross paths with another loser. A rich loser but if he knew his sister, another loser just the same.

"Jason is Superman. He lives at Disney World. He's really cool Uncle Steven. He bought me this hat and this Pluto and he took us to Animal Kingdom and on a boat ride and" Cameron was so excited as his uncle picked him up and gave him a hug.

"Did you say he is Superman?" Steven interrupted looking over at his sister for some kind of plausible explanation. She simply smiled and stuck her nose in the bouquet and took a deep breath through her nose.

"Yes, Morgan told me. His Uncle Jason is Superman and he has an 'S' on his chest and everything. He saved them from a bad man once. He's really nice and he is gonna move where we are moving to when Mommy gets the job."

"Oh really?" Steven asked again looking to his sister who now had a frown on her face.

"Ma'am, if you'll let me take your bags." The limo driver asked reaching out to her for the portfolio and carry on she still held.

"Uh…no thank you. Tell Mr. Morgan thank you but we'll ride with my brother."

"Actually Elizabeth, if the man sent a limo it will help me. You know changing your flight caused me to have to leave the hospital in the middle of my shift. If you ride home in the limo I can get back to my patients."

"Well…I guess it would be okay. Here" she handed over her bag, "and can you take Cameron's Pluto. It is getting dirty from him dragging it on the floor."

The limo driver led them to the car and once there, Steven handed his nephew back to Elizabeth. "I'll be home around eight. I expect to hear more about this Superman."

"Okay big brother. I'll see you when you get home." With that she climbed into the limo.

Her cell phone, the one she hadn't remembered was in her purse, the one Jason had given her the day before, beeped. She pulled it out and noticed the little sign that said she had voice mail. She listened and frowned.

What is she supposed to do? He was a wonderful man but…what did it mean? I mean he is in the mob. At least the news paper article said he was. It also said he had never been convicted of a crime. Maybe he wasn't in the mob. His family, or at least what he told her was his biological family was rich. Maybe he was the blacksheep, like he said, and the stories were all lies. Yet, he carried a gun and had been so adamant that if they could not make a go of a relationship, it was because of him and not her. Was he gearing up to tell her that dating him would make her a mob moll?

She needed answers. She wanted to call him but she needed to have more information before she did. She decided that she would go online and find out anything she could about one Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos and the Quartermaines as soon as she put Cameron down for a nap.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She was home. Spinelli had confirmed it with the limo company. She had accepted the ride and the flowers but she hadn't called. He sat with the new information Spinelli had given him. Her home phone number. Should he call her?

Maybe she hadn't kept the cell phone he gave her. But she wouldn't throw it away and it didn't come back with his stuff. Spinelli tried to find her cell phone number but there was no such listing and none of the major cell service providers had a record in their list of customers of Elizabeth Webber.

He needed to talk to her. To explain. He hated himself for not having told her himself. Surely she knew who he really was by now. She was a smart woman and a curious one. She would have looked into him by now.

It had been twelve days since she was home. He needed to see her. He needed to speak with her. He had sent roses to her apartment daily with pleas for her to call him. Each time he had his cell number put on the card attached to the flowers. She hadn't called. He had Spinelli look into the museum she was coming to work for. She was still coming.

He finally figured out how he knew the couple that owned the museum. The wife, Mrs. Eleanor Rigby was a patient of his sister's. Emily was an oncologist at General Hospital. He had met them one time when he was picking his sister up for a lunch date.

Spinelli had acted as a moving company representative and found she was to report to work at the museum on Monday. Four days from now. He could not wait four more days. Elizabeth was leaving tomorrow for Crimson Point according to the Rigby's. Elizabeth had filled his sleep with dreams of their time together. She had filled his every waking moment too. He had stared at the paintings she had created until they were such a distraction and such a cause of an unrecognizable pain that he finally packed them back into their boxes.

Finally he picked up his phone and dialed the number on the piece of paper.

"GRAMS I SAID I WAS FINE. PLEASE STOP CALLING ME"

"Uh…Elizabeth?" Jason said, confused by her greeting.

"Who is this?" she asked, frustration evident in her voice.

"Jason Morgan. I…I was hoping we could talk."

"Jason?"

"Yeah" he relaxed. Her voice was music to his ears. "I've missed you. Have you received my flowers?"

"Daily. Listen…I don't"

He interrupted her. "I know you probably have read…well…found out…I just wanted to hear your voice. I'm sorry. I'll let you go. I won't bother you again."

"JASON WAIT"

"Yeah?"

"Look, I'm flying in tonight. Cameron is staying with my Grams until I find a place for us to stay. You could pick me up at the airport and we could talk. We NEED to talk. If you aren't busy."

"No I'm not busy" he quickly lied "What time does your flight arrive?"

"Well to me it's five thirty but in Port Charles it will be seven thirty. I have a hotel room at Metrocourt that my new boss arranged for me. Do you know the place? They have a restaurant and maybe we could grab a bite to eat."

"I'll make a reservation for eight thirty. Elizabeth, I am so glad to hear your voice. I'm really sorry about…well everything. I should have told you…"

"We really need to talk. I thought I would just forget about you but…well you won't let me."

"Is that what you want? To forget about me?" he slumped.

"No…yes…no I don't think I could."

"How's Cameron?" he quickly changed the subject. He had her on the phone and her voice was easing the pain he had held in his chest for the past two weeks. He would talk about the weather if it kept her on the phone.

"He's fine. He talks A LOT about Jason or should I say Superman."

"Hey, do you still have the cell phone I gave you?"

"Yes" she replied shyly.

"I have left you a lot of messages." He had left at least ten a day since that Saturday he got out of jail and she flew home."

"I know." Her voice had dropped and sounded sad.

"It's okay, I understand. But you'll still let me pick you up from the airport tonight?"

"Yeah, like I said, we need to talk."

"That's good enough for me. Wear jeans and sensible shoes. I want to take you somewhere."

"Jason, I think we should just be somewhere public and talk if that's okay with you. You can take me to my hotel and we'll talk at the restaurant if that's okay with you."

Tears threatened to pool. She wanted to talk just to tell him that she never wanted to see him again and to stop harassing her. He should have known. She hadn't responded to one of his messages. Not one flower card produced a simple call. She only wanted to talk with him to let him know that she didn't want to know him anymore.

"Okay. I'm sorry about everything. I'll pick you up and take you to the hotel and we'll talk. Then I won't bother you anymore. I'll see you at the airport at seven thirty. Bye"

He heard her say goodbye and closed his phone. The tears flowed as he said the words out loud that he has wanted to say for two weeks. "I love you"


	16. Chapter 16

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 16

Jason hung up the phone and went to take a shower. He knew Sonny was pissed but he didn't have it in him to care right now. Regardless of what he felt Elizabeth wanted to say, he would get the chance to see her and that alone was enough. He knew he was hopelessly in love with her and even if she never wanted to see or speak to him again, he would get this last chance and he would tell her how he felt.

Sonny would have to wait. His stinging words of rage at Jason still did not erase the memories of his time with Elizabeth in his mind. His partner, boss and friend had been extremely patient with him over the past few weeks. Even though he had loudly voiced his opinion regarding his softening enforcer, he HAD been supportive and patient. It helped that Michael had explained to his father about the elusive Elizabeth. Jason was his usual, silent.

Carly, on the other hand, was her usual self. She never liked anyone Jason cared for. Not women at least. The closest he got to peace from Carly was Courtney but that relationship didn't last and he knew Carly's reprieve from spite was only because Courtney was Sonny's sister and Carly was married to Sonny at the time. Had Courtney not been related or Carly not been with Sonny, she would have inflicted her evil tirades on the blonde just as easily as she had on each of his other relationships.

After hearing from her sons about this woman and child that had spent the latter part of their vacation with them, she was cranky and possessive. Jason avoided her.

Sonny's final words gave Jason pause. 'I'll give you tonight and then you had better snap out of it. You are my Enforcer….first, last and always.'

Jason could not deny that he had a job to do. Lives depended on him. He was molded into the man he was and there was no going back, no breaking free. Yet he knew had he met Elizabeth long ago, he would probably be a banker or a construction worker. Anything that would make Elizabeth proud of him and allow him to live in her life. Whatever it took.

It was seven and he was downstairs in the garage of Harbor View Towers. He had finally sent the limo away, telling himself he needed to stop throwing extravagance in her face. She had repeatedly told him he was throwing money around and had implied on more than one occasion that she wasn't impressed. He kept looking between his Cadillac Escalade and his motorcycle. She had said she would love to take a ride with him sometime but that was before she knew of his real life. He finally decided and climbed into the SUV.

Once at the airport, he allowed valet parking to take the truck because he wanted to be waiting in the area as close as the airport security allowed people without tickets to wait. Her flight was scheduled to arrive in five minutes and he didn't want to miss one second of being with her just to park his truck.

He passed a flower vendor but again decided against it. She had already received no less than fifteen dozen roses from him in the past two weeks. He shook his head again as he briskly walked through the airport. He had never given a woman flowers other than his beloved grandmother, Lila, and in two weeks he had given her an entire garden full. He laughed as he imagined an apartment lined with roses in every nook and cranny.

"Where do you think you are going Morgan?" an arm and familiar voice stopped him.

"What do you want Lucky?" Jason paused and scrubbed his face in exasperation. "Aren't you done following me for a while? I think I need to call Diane and see about harassment charges against you."

"And what would she say if I told her I stopped you trying to escape the country?" He squared off with his nemesis. "And in such a bold display. I would have pegged you for the run on your bike over the Canada border at midnight type. Not walk openly through the Port Charles International Airport for a commercial flight."

"I am not leaving. I am picking up someone from the airport." He didn't want to tell the detective who or how well he knew Elizabeth so quickly he bent the truth to suit him. "A patient of Emily's has hired a girl to run their art museum and I said I would pick the girl up from the airport. Mrs. Rigby is very sick and has been going through rounds of chemo. Since they live over in Crimson Point, I said I would pick the girl up and get her to her hotel."

Lucky studied Jason for a moment. He and Emily were best friends and now that his brother had been such a dumb ass and left her for Jason's ex, the two best friends had been becoming more than friends. He knew Jason would never use his sister in an attempt to escape or even lie. He also knew about the Rigby's. Emily had been becoming very emotionally involved with Eleanor Rigby's fight against cancer. He had consoled her on more than one occasion with regard to the elderly woman.

"Is this the woman from Colorado?" Lucky asked removing his hand from his gun and genuinely sounding like he was interested and not out to find something, anything to arrest Jason.

Seeing this opportunity he responded, "Yes, Carly, the boys and I met her down at Disney World. I don't know much about her but she seems like she knows a lot about art. I hope she is able to help the Rigbys. I know that would make Emily happy. She is very worried about both Mrs AND Mr Rigby at this point."

"Yes she is. I just wish she wouldn't get so emotionally involved with her patients lives like this. It completely destroys her when she loses one."

"Look Lucky, I am not trying to run and I am not trying to be rude. I just don't want that girl to get off the plane and be scared because she doesn't see a familiar face waiting for her."

Suddenly suspicions Lucky asked, "Why do you care? What's in it for you? Why would YOU PERSONALLY offer to pick her up from the airport?"

"Because she asked me to and I knew it would make my sister happy and because this girl is from Colorado. She doesn't know New York. Until she gets acclimated, she will need protection from"

Lucky cut him off with a laugh, "People like you?"

Jason dropped his head as his hands clinched into fists. Just once he would love to rip the arrogant glare off of Lucky Spencer's face. It's only because of his sister Jason hasn't opted to take his chances on jail time to wipe the smug attitude of his on the floor like a rag.

He heard the airport announce the arrival of Elizabeth's flight. "Is there anything else you need Lucky?"

"No, I am going to let you hang yourself. Airport security has already been notified to restrain you if you try to board a flight. I said I would be glad to come get you. I am off duty and late to meet your sister for dinner anyway. Don't be stupid Morgan. Always remember, I am watching you."

With that, Lucky turned on his heel and headed toward the airport entrance. Jason quickly turned and headed to his destination. Elizabeth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He held out his hand to help her into the waiting SUV but she wouldn't take it. Just another in a long list of slights she had given him since their eyes locked as she walked through the security checkpoint where he was waiting. She would not allow him to carry her luggage until he became slightly forceful holding her wrist as he slid the bag from her grasp. He went to hug her and she stepped back. She never smiled and gave a cold 'hello' in response to his once she walked up to him.

Since he had no intention of allowing her to 'let him have it' in the middle of the airport, he followed her direction and remained silent only speaking to guide her to the valet service. At one point when they were to turn a corner he made the mistake of putting his hand at the small of her back to gently urge her in the correct direction. That elicited her only other words, 'DON'T TOUCH ME' whispered with such strength and disgust he wondered why she even wanted to talk.

He quickly ran around to the driver side of the vehicle and after paying the valet, drove off nodding nonchalantly at the two uniformed PCPD officers that were apparently stationed to report when he left. The drive was quiet but he knew he needed to let her be the one to talk first. His attempts in the airport were futile and Jason was not known for repeatedly banging his head against a wall. She wanted to talk. She asked him to pick her up from the airport to talk. She could have quietly come into town without seeing him so her allowing him to pick her up from the airport was a step, however slight, in the right direction.

Still silent after an unbearable five minutes, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled the velvet box out and set it on the console separating them. From the corner of his eye he saw her stare at it and her eyes grow wide. She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth. A move he had seen her do a million times in the three days they spent together. A move that elicited swirling pools of desire to course through his blood. He remained silent.

A few miles later, he saw her hand tremble as she ran her finger across the velvet of the box. He turned his head to look at her and she withdrew her hand and turned away to stare out the window. The only audible sound was his sign of despair. They had been driving in circles. He was inching closer to Metrocourt but he was trying to give her time to open up and finally talk to him but she wasn't budging.

Then he heard it. Silent almost inaudible sobs coming from her. That was his undoing. He pulled the Escalade over and noticed the unmarked police car pull over a quarter mile behind him. Putting it in park, he turned fully in the seat, leaving on his seatbelt so there was nothing the police could possibly arrest him for. Knowing them, for him, they would arrest someone over failure to wear a seat belt.

"Elizabeth, please look at me." He begged.

Silence.

"Look, I know I fucked up. God how I know what a huge mess I made of this but the last thing I want is for you to cry." He ran his fingers through his hair then gripped the steering wheel to gain some composure. It was taking all of his strength to keep from pulling the pixie of a woman into his strong arms.

Silence and another hiccupping sob.

"I thought you wanted to talk. You said we needed to talk." He prodded.

Swiping away tears, she turned and faced the front looking out the windshield. He was getting somewhere. He picked up the velvet box and placed it in her lap.

"I planned to give this to you on the balcony. I found it at the gift shop in the Magic Kingdom where we bought the boys their matching Mickey Mouse t-shirts."

She turned her hand over and held the box. Her hand trembled as she slowly opened it displaying the gold necklace with the gold Cinderella's Castle dangling from it.

"It's beautiful." She said softly, her lips quivering as fast as her hands were shaking.

Finally she had spoken and he let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "You're beautiful."

He reached over to grasp her hand but she flinched and he quickly drew his hand back and moved it up to rest behind her on her headrest.

Letting out a loud sigh he lowered his head and his voice, "I'm so sorry Elizabeth. If I could turn back the clock I would do things differently. I would have told you that first night the things you discovered so coldly on your own."

"Are they true?" she asked, her voice broken a bit.

Are they true? He could lie to her but that would be futile. Though he has never been proven or rather convicted of the things the press and feds constantly accused him of, he was a mob enforcer. He dealt in illegal activities on a daily basis and he could never hope to have any sort of a relationship based on a lie she would discover quickly on her own.

"There are things in my life that…well…there are things I can't tell you. Things I have done that…Sonny and I DO have other business dealings that aren't…"

"Legal?" she interjected.

"My life is lived in a world that most people will never know. It's a dangerous world. It is filled with people that don't play by society's rules. I can't apologize for that simply because I can't change it and probably wouldn't if I could. But that has nothing to do with you. With us."

"How could you possibly say that?" she finally turned her head and looked at him.

"Because what I do has nothing to do with who I am." He responded certain in his answer.

"They say you are a killer. How could the man I met, the man I know be a killer?" tears started to flow down her face again and his heart ached to wipe away her tears. To take away her pain.

"I don't know how to answer that. I won't answer that. I guess you have to decide if who I am is worth knowing what I am."

"And who are you…what are you?"

"A man in love with a woman he met only two weeks ago. A man who would do anything to make you happy. You and Cameron. A man who hasn't stopped thinking about you since the moment he met you and who would do anything to hold you in his arms for the rest of his life."

He stopped and allowed the silence to envelope them. Her tears continued to flow and he waited for her to speak.

"You still didn't say WHAT you are." She said so softly he wouldn't have heard her were it not so deathly silent inside the vehicle.

"Nothing you have read has ever been proven to be true but not all of it is necessarily a lie either. That's all I'll say. It's not to intentionally lie or keep things from you. It's to protect you. There are things you shouldn't know. However, I would protect you and Cameron from all of that if you would give me a chance."

"Michael and Morgan…" she didn't finish her sentence because she didn't really know what she was asking.

"They are well guarded and protected from most of this life and they are happy. They live very happy lives. I make sure of it. I…I guess I want to know if I have a chance or if this is goodbye. I understand if it is and really can't say I blame you but you wanted to talk so I am going to say everything I want you to know. Elizabeth, I love you and I want a life with you and Cameron. I will do everything in my power to make you happy and safe and"

She cut him off. "You wouldn't love me if you knew"

He didn't let her finish. It was preposterous there would or could be anything that could make him not love her. "There's nothing you could say or do to make me not feel the way I feel about you Elizabeth. You and Cameron. That little boy stole my heart just like his mother did. In record time. I have never felt this way before. I doubt I ever will again. You have completely taken me. It's as if on day one you took your little boy by the hand and climbed into my heart. There's no room for anything else."

He was looking her in the eyes. He wanted to make sure she knew, she saw that his words were the truth. Her tears had stopped flowing and her nervous habit of biting her bottom lip had reoccurred. She looked from his eyes to the necklace and then back to his eyes.

"Why don't we go to dinner and continue this talk there?" then she gave him hope as she placed her hand over his. He quickly turned it so he could lock their fingers and silently he pulled the gear into drive and pulled on to the road.

Within minutes they were outside Metrocourt. Before the valet could come take the vehicle he turned and quietly squeezed her hand. "Thank you"


	17. Chapter 17

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 17

Jason helped Elizabeth out of the car, glad she allowed him to take her hand. He let go and opened the back door of the Escalade to retrieve her portfolio and her small suit case. When he turned to head into the Metrocourt, he attempted to hold her hand but she flinched again so he let out an audible sigh and dropped his hand to his side but didn't press the issue. Regardless of what it took, patience wise, he was not going to push her. The fact that she agreed to see him again and then held his hand in the car after he told her about his business, his real business, was good enough for now.

Admittedly, he knew he hadn't really told her anything but he didn't lie to her. He decided if she asked, as long as he could tell her, he would. Just admitting that some of what she read was true was admission enough for her to realize that he was not the upstanding citizen she thought he was when they met. Now, if she would just accept that and allow him to be a part of hers and her sons lives, he could have it all and be happy.

Once she checked in to the hotel with the small Asian man behind the counter who appeared to know Jason well, she retrieved her key card and turned to Jason.

"If you want to meet me at the restaurant, I'll just go drop off my things and see you in a minute."

Scared to let her leave his side he quickly spit out an alternative. "Why don't we let the bellhop take your things to your room? Would that be okay? Or I could go up with you."

"A bellhop? Won't that cost me?" she asked.

"No, Carly, my best friend I told you about, she owns the place. I don't have to pay for anything around here. Actually…hang on."

Jason walked back over to the Asian man. "Tommy, Miss Webber should have her credit card reimbursed and she should be given my suite. Can you arrange that for me, take her bags to her room and then DON'T tell Carly?"

"Yes Sir, Mr. Morgan. I'll be glad to handle that for you." Tommy Chun responded.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Jason nodded and then set Elizabeth's portfolio and luggage on the counter. "We'll be in the restaurant if you need us."

Jason turned and looked at Elizabeth then tilted his head toward the elevators. He didn't try to coax her physically because she was obviously not comfortable with him touching her so he just started walking.

Once they got in the elevator, Elizabeth turned to Jason. "Will you put this on me?"

Jason grabbed the velvet box from her outstretched hand and opened it. While taking the delicate necklace from the box, he watched as Elizabeth slowly turned her back to him and with one hand gathered her hair and lifted it off her neck. Her neck was so graceful. Long and thin with little wisps of hair jutting from it. The skin was so creamy and smooth.

He noticed that she was shaking slightly. He reached around and pulled the necklace through and clasped it, allowing the charm to fall. She hadn't dropped her hair yet so he bent down and placed a chaste kiss to the back of her neck, tasting the sweet jasmine and vanilla of her perfume. She didn't tense up but he knew better than to push it so he leaned back up and pulled her hand from her hair and allowed her arm to drop to her side. He then rested his hands on her shoulders and gave a light squeeze.

"I'm so glad you're here." The timbre of his baritone voice rumbled past the shell of her ear.

Before Elizabeth could react, the ding of the elevator announced their arrival at the top floor. The doors gave way and she felt Jason's hand at the small of her back giving her a slight push. Had he not done that, she probably would have never moved. She was paralyzed. As soon as Jason was behind her to put on her new necklace, the one he gave her to remember their time at Disney World, she could feel her body tremble in anticipation of his hands touching her. His body being so close was causing her insides to melt.

Since she saw him at the airport her mind and heart and body had all been waging war with each other. Her mind clearly knew she should tell this man to leave her and never attempt to touch, speak, call or see her again. Her heart retaliated with the reasoning that love faces obstacles and strife but is worth every con where it versus the pro's. Jason Morgan was definitely a pro in more ways than one.

Then, of course, her body swooped in like the US did in World War Two. All sides were battered and worn and the Americans just bombed the hell out of everything until there was nothing to do but surrender. Once Jason placed that kiss on her neck, she knew her mind had lost. Her heart requested back up and the butterflies did a mad dance of desire to stomp out all reasoning. Yes, Jason Morgan was definitely something worth waging battle for.

Jason turned and looked at Elizabeth. When he did, he saw very different emotions playing out on her face. There was desire, fear, confusion and wonder. He wanted to focus on the desire, turn her back into the elevator and ravage her on the trip down. However, logic told him he should focus more on the fear regardless of his body's growing need to focus on anything else.

"If this place is too crowded, we can go somewhere else. Or…if you are afraid of being seen with me..." He didn't know what her hesitation was but could tell she was definitely hesitant about something.

Elizabeth looked past Jason and started to put one foot in front of the other. "No, this is fine. It's…it's a beautiful restaurant. Are you sure I am dressed okay for this?" She stopped just outside the elevator doors and looked down at her plain blue wide legged clam-diggers, navy blue flats and her simple soft yellow sweater.

"Yes, you look beautiful. I don't know what the dress code is here but they let me in with jeans and a t-shirt." He responded looking down at his own attire.

"I get the feeling you could come in here in cut off shorts, no shoes and a sweaty tank top and they would let you in." She said wryly, rolling her eyes at his attempt to suggest he was like any other patron in the establishment.

It caused a slight blush to Jason's cheek. "Well, I don't know about that but my best friend does own the place so I do enjoy a lot of the perks."

"Like having your own hotel room?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Morgan, your table is waiting. Please come this way." The hostess interrupted.

Once they sat down at the table near the bar a waiter came up and immediately dropped off a bottle of beer and asked what Elizabeth would like to drink. Feeling like she was in a fish bowl she meekly asked for a glass of white wine. Every person in the restaurant had at some point from the elevators to their table, turned to look at her. Not many had smiles on their face and she abhorred the fact that their table was in the center of the room.

"So, they know you pretty well around here. I mean we hadn't even sat down and the waiter had your beer here for you. And…" She took a hooded glance around the room and noticed some but not all were still gawking at them. "Do you eat here a lot?"

"No, honestly this isn't really my kind of place. I would rather have a cheeseburger at Kelly's or some chili fries at Jake's."

"Can I ask you something?" Elizabeth sat fully back in her chair and placed her hands in her lap.

"Sure, you can ask me anything Elizabeth." He leaned up and placed both elbows on the table.

"If this isn't your kind of place and they don't serve the food you like and obviously people stare at you in here and you live in this town, I mean you have a house here, why did you bring me here, why would you want to display yourself and why do you have a hotel room?" She kept her eyes locked on his. She knew her question was more like three questions but rambling was one of her nervous habits. And nervous didn't even begin to describe Elizabeth at the moment.

"I…Because…"He thought for a moment. What was she asking? It was a simple question, well there was more than one question but it didn't make sense. Simple questions deserved simple answers so that's what he gave. "I brought you here because when we spoke on the phone you asked to come here so we could talk. You specifically said the hotel you were staying at had a restaurant and we could talk there. I am not sure what you mean by display but if you mean people looking at us well…I don't really notice it anymore. They are probably all looking at how gorgeous you are. Finally, I have a hotel room here because my best friend owns the hotel and she keeps it empty for me in case I ever need it."

"Yes but why would you ever need it?"

Aha. Now he understood some of the question. "Elizabeth, there have been a number of reasons to need a hotel room in the town I live in but none of the reasons I have used it for are what you are thinking. First, customers of Corinthos-Morgan Coffee Imports stay here when they come to town to do business. Then there was the time that I stayed here while my penthouse was being painted. Since it's a suite, I have used it to conduct business instead of our warehouse offices and then at times I have used it to simply get away. I have a roommate that is barely out of his teens and can make me insane sometimes. Then one time I had too much to drink at that bar over there" he nodded to the bar behind her. "And now I am using it to let a beautiful woman stay in it." _'If I can't convince you to stay with me instead.'_ He thought.

"But"

"Look, Carly gave me the key and said it's mine. I didn't ask for it and honestly I rarely ever use it. What are you really asking?"

"I don't know. I am just a little confused. I don't know how to act. I mean…I don't really know…I don't know what you want."

"What I want is to spend time with you. Elizabeth, I meant it when I said I wanted to try to see if…well…if you and Cam could find room for me in your life." He mimicked her actions and sat back. The ball was in her court now. It was her decision to make because his decision had been made on a Tuesday afternoon a few weeks back at the pool at The Floridian.

Elizabeth pondered his answer. She trusted his honesty. Surely there was nothing to gain by lying to her and really there was nothing to gain by being with her. He was a gorgeous, heart stoppingly sexy man that could have any woman he wanted and he said he wanted her. That alone was reason enough to give him a chance. He had also said that not all of what she had read was truthful. THAT she would ask about later, when she felt more comfortable with the topic.

She had seen him with Cam and he seemed to truly, genuinely take to her little boy and he to Jason. She was comfortable around him and they talked easily. She felt the safest since early childhood in his arms. Something she had never had with a man other than Zander and once that relationship turned romantic, it quickly became a disaster and then he took off for parts unknown.

Besides, who was she to judge? Her own choices in life had not been sound. Although nothing she had done was illegal, save for the time she and her best junior high buddy had stolen makeup from the local Piggly Wiggly. He had never been convicted of anything. She had made sure of that. Even parking tickets never held up in court. That had to account for something. Then there was the glaring fact that this man wanted to get to know her and spend time with her and her son. She should relax and accept this until she head reason to doubt it.

The waiter brought her out of her thoughts and as she leaned up to reach for her glass of wine, she noticed the concerned look on Jason's face. He was waiting for her. He was trying to be patient and it looked like it was killing him. He was patient at Disney but he was also rather aggressive in taking charge and leading them. It was intoxicating how he never pushed her but simply made sure that everything happened to endear her to him.

She gave him a small smile and lifted the glass of wine almost to her lips. She breathed in the scent of the liquid then lightly swirled the wine in her hand. Finally she settled the glass to her lips again and swallowed a small amount. Jason groaned at the seductive way she was drinking a glass of wine and sat up straight when his cock twitched to attention.

"Okay, let's say I accept what I read as pure assumptions on the part of over zealous reporters and also accept your response to it all. What now?"

"You tell me. I'm not going anywhere so if you agree to see me, we'll take this as slow or as fast as you want. You set the pace."

"Fair enough. Although I think we have already kind of fast tracked some things." She let out a soft giggle which caused a wide smile to curve Jason's lips and a ferocious, hungry sparkle to dance in his sky blue eyes.

"Yeah well, I don't regret it. I hope you don't either."

"I don't Jason. I really don't. I thought I would but I don't regret a single minute of our time together. I just…" she trailed off. She was too embarrassed to talk about her inexperience. He had not complained that morning and since he still wanted to see her, maybe…

"You just what? I have dreamt about that morning many, many times since then. Truth be told, you have filled my every waking thoughts and even my dreams. I have never had a dream since I woke up from the accident. I thought I couldn't. The doctors said it was a product of the brain injury but you…I have dreams about you."

"Really?" she covered her face with her hand. He took it down away from her face and clasped it in his own on the table. "I've…thought about you a lot too."

"Hey Jase, what are you doing here?" a long auburn haired beauty wrapped her arm around Jason's shoulder then leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Elizabeth's smile instantly turned and she pulled her hand from his. She looked up at the woman and then over at the man next to her. He was amazing looking. He had short messy dark brown hair with streaks of blonde throughout. His face was left unshaven for maybe two days which gave a just out of bed after fucking your brains out, sexy kind of aura. His eyes were a seductive hazel-green. Elizabeth couldn't tell which color stood out more. His body filled his button down shirt nicely and his pants showed off the nice curve of his ass. He was closer to her age, maybe a year older and so was the woman.

Jason instantly stood and fully hugged the woman. "Hey Em, what are you doing here?" His voice was light and happy then he turned to the man and his whole demeanor changed. With a low almost growl, "Lucky"

Elizabeth noticed an equal disgust between the man and Jason. Sudden fear struck her. Her mind raced. Maybe this was his ex-wife. Maybe this man was another mobster. Maybe…aww hell, maybe she was just oversensitive right now.

"Jason, who is this beautiful woman? And stop growling at Lucky. I really wish you two would give it a rest for five freakin minutes." Emily slapped her brother on the arm and then turned and pushed Lucky in the chest.

Jason immediately turned and saw the uncomfortable look Elizabeth had. He turned back to his sister and motioned his hand toward Elizabeth. "Emily, this is Elizabeth Webber. She's the one taking the job at the museum that Mr. and Mrs. Rigby own. Remember, I was picking her up from the airport for them."

Picking up on his obvious though unexplainable intentions Emily smiled and turned to Elizabeth jutting out her hand. "Hi Elizabeth, I'm Emily Quartermaine, Jason's sister. I am so glad you are going to help the Rigby's. I don't know how much they have told you but they really need someone to help them out right now. Oh, and this is Lucky Spencer." She turned and wrapped her unextended arm through his and hugged him close. "He's my best friend and well…"

"Maybe something more?" Elizabeth offered and shook Emily's hand.

A knowing glance passed between Lucky and Emily. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let out a soft sigh. "Maybe."

Jason instantly rolled his eyes. "Hopefully not."

"You know, you're a real piece of work Morgan. And this woman." Lucky pointed an angry finger at Elizabeth's direction. "Another one to warm your bed and then wind up dead in an alley after your enemies discover her? At least your sister isn't a mob moll."

Suddenly the room became chaotic as Jason pushed past Emily and grabbed Lucky by the collar and shoved him back toward the bar. **"You watch your fucking mouth Spencer!"**

Emily screamed and Elizabeth stood. She didn't know whether to run or try to stop Jason. She had never seen him like this. Before she could react, a man pulled them apart and once she could get a look at him, she gasped. It was the same man that was in the hallway outside the hotel suite in The Floridian. Detective Alvarez.

"Jason, you don't want to do this man. Just calm down before you wind up with assault on a police officer."

"Lucky started it." Emily defended. "And you owe this woman an apology Lucky. How could you say something like that right in front of her. You don't even know her. I swear, this feud between you two is downright childish."

Jason was filled with fury. Not because Lucky once again was agitating him, not because he and his sister were obviously taking their friendship to a new lever, although that thought equally disturbed and infuriated him, but because he had just insulted Elizabeth. He turned and looked at her and saw Elizabeth visibly shaking. He followed her gaze and landed on Alvarez. Like a tidal wave it hit him. Alvarez was there when he was arrested in front of Elizabeth. SHIT. Two steps forward, three steps back.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

With his hand firmly grasping Elizabeth's hand, he led her out of the elevator and through the lobby to his awaiting SUV. He felt horrible for the way he barked his command at her up in the restaurant. "COME ON" was much more harsh than he intended but then, he wasn't going to let her stand there and let everything sink in before he could explain. Also, he knew if he didn't leave, his anger toward Lucky probably would cause him to take a detour through the police station and completely ruin their night. Not that the scene that had just played in the restaurant didn't have the potential to have already ruined it.

He noticed her trembling but she never tried to pull her hand away from him. Actually she somewhat clung to him during the silent elevator ride. He was too mad to say anything at this point but she was so silent he couldn't imagine what she was thinking. Well, that wasn't true. She was probably thinking, 'What the hell have I gotten myself into with this jerk?' because that was exactly how he had reacted. It was unlike him. Normally he became stoic when Lucky taunted him but seeing his sister curl up against the ass and then him even suggesting Elizabeth's immanent death and calling her a mob moll made him snap.

The valet left the vehicle running and gave Jason a quick nod then slipped out of his sightline. He hadn't even called downstairs for his car to be brought around so the staff downstairs must have been immediately notified of the incident in the restaurant and went to work quickly, knowing Jason would leave the building to get away from the two detectives. Jason helped Elizabeth into the black Escalade and when she wasn't quick enough, he yanked her seatbelt out and pulled it over her lap.

Elizabeth took that time to attempt to calm the beast within Jason. She gently placed her hand on his arm and gave a light squeeze. This caused Jason to stop and look into her eyes. With the softest, steadiest voice she could muster, Elizabeth spoke "Jason, you need to calm down before you get into the car and drive. Please."

Jason closed his eyes and let go of the seat belt allowing it to coil back into the body of the truck. He took a few cleansing breaths then opened his eyes. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of that. Especially the way I barked at you."

"It's okay. You didn't deserve to be taunted by your sister's boyfriend. He sure doesn't like you. I get the feeling you don't like him either." Her last sentence was almost a whisper.

Elizabeth reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "Let's go find that cheeseburger."

Jason leaned in and rested his forehead on hers. "You deserve so much better than this. What am I doing?"

"What do you mean?" she asked relishing in his hot breath caressing her face.

"I'm not good enough for you. You deserve to" Elizabeth cut him off with her lips. There was no way she was going to hear this after she had just twenty minutes ago decided to give this…whatever it is, a chance.

Her lips touching his sent a spark through him. He instantly reached up and pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Then he placed both hands on either side of her face and tilted her head up. As soon as she was positioned, he traced her lip with his tongue and she parted her lips. His tongue earnestly searched hers and once it found it, he moaned. He had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like an eternity. It instantly caused his anger to subside and he felt a calming presence enter his body. It was Elizabeth. She was back inside his body, coursing through his veins making all the world right.


	18. Chapter 18

Counting to Ten

Chapter 18

Jason was pushing the limits of his bike. When the world got crazy or anger caused him to physically shake, he would take off on his Harley and ride the cliff roads that lead into Canada. Danger was a drug that Jason was addicted to. It filled his senses as if it were a junkie's needle entering his arm then pushing a narcotic liquid into his veins. The danger could come in many forms, killing, hunting down someone who was hunting him, fighting and flying. But the drug of choice was riding his bike against the wind with speeds deemed unsafe. Taking roads that had curves that were deadly and skidding to the ledges of cliffs with mere millimeters between him and immanent death. The excitement was exhilarating and would cause him to race off for sharper ones to feed his habit.

Now, however it was the screams and laughter coming from behind him that fed his need. He didn't take chances. She was too precious to risk injury but he noticed she liked the curves and within the first hour, had learned how to lean with him so he could take them faster. Her response elicited a wanted reaction. She would fist her hands into his sides and gut. She would press her full upper body against his back. Occasionally she would stand on the pegs on a straightaway to have the wind pelt her face. That was a different kind of drug because when she stood on the pegs, she would wrap her arms around his neck, bow her legs to encase his back against her most tantalizing of body parts. His mind would picture her warm wet center up against his shoulder blades. It made him hard. Made him push. Made him mad with desire.

She was arousing him in a way he had never felt before. His senses were all alerted to every move she made, every sound, every breath. Each spot her body touched singed him and made him tingle. The last curve was his breaking point. Her hand slid under his shirt and her cool velvet fingertips grazed lightly at the waistband of his jeans. He was overdosing. He had shot up too much at once. He needed to stop and dry out before it killed him.

Jason slowed the bike and turned onto an old abandoned dirt road. They had to duck on a few occasions to avoid overgrown limbs and heavy moss. After a quarter mile, the woods opened up to a clearing where there was an old stone bridge ahead. Jason slowed the bike to a stop and then held out his hand to help her off. Her knees were weak which caused Jason both pleasure and pain. Her instability required him to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her flush to him to steady her. It also caused her to straddle his thigh while he sat on the bike holding her so close. He groaned at the pleasure-pain coursing through his body. She was intoxicating in every sense of the word.

Once he was sure she was steady, he flipped off the engine and kicked the stand down. With one swift move, his leg flung over the bike and landed with a thud on the ground next to her. She hadn't moved from his hold, she simply stood up straight until he was standing beside her and could pull her into him once again.

"That was…AMAZING." She said breathlessly.

"Yeah, it was." A simple reply but telling her that her actions behind him had him close to orgasm didn't seem like the proper response.

"Where are we?" she pondered verbally twisting in his arms so her back was against his chest while looking around.

She crossed her arms over her chest while his fingers were entwined with hers. This gave Jason the unique opportunity to cup her breasts but not grope her. He closed his eyes and bent his head to smell the honeyed scent of her hair. Then he rested his chin on top of her head and followed as she turned their bodies in the direction she wanted to see.

"We're nowhere." Was his quiet response to her question.

"Nowhere? Jason we're somewhere. OH MY GOD LOOK!" she pointed upwards and he knew instantly what she was gasping for.

"Yeah, the stars seem so much closer after a ride."

"It's so beautiful. I want to paint this feeling."

"You want to paint a feeling?" For the life of him, at least the life he lived since his accident, Jason never understood paintings. Pictures, or what Sonny would correct him and call portraits, were the easiest. He could somewhat understand but he tended to point out what he considered flaws and the rest of the world considered artistic license.

"Yes, the feeling of the wind. The rush of going fast. The stars. I want to paint it."

"Ooookay. Hey speaking of paintings, all the stuff you did is at my penthouse. The one of Cameron and me is my favorite. The only thing missing in it is you." He leaned down and placed a kiss at the bend of her neck and collar bone.

"Wow, I didn't realize you had all of that stuff shipped to your house. How embarrassing. Those were just quick sketches with watercolors. They aren't very good." She twisted around to face him and disappointment briefly shone on his face at the loss of the sensual curve of her breasts in his hands.

"They are wonderful. You're wonderful." He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. He didn't deepen the kiss because he was already painfully fighting off urges from being so intimately close to her.

"No, you are just saying that. They are not very good at all but the images were so vivid in my mind there was really nothing else I could paint. Did I ever thank you for that? My little trip to Italy that is." She smiled when she looked up to visually see his answer.

Equaling her smile with his own he leaned in and whispered next to her ear, "Yes, verbally you thanked me but I was hoping for a different, more physical thank you that night."

"Well it certainly wasn't my fault you didn't get your proper thank you." She sounded sarcastic which Jason took to be a good thing. He prayed bringing up that night didn't cause her to pull away and it didn't.

Leaning back he peered into her eyes. "We could always remedy that whenever you want."

Elizabeth blushed. Had it not been so dark out, Jason would have seen her turn ten shades of red. Instead he focused on the necklace he gave her. He lifted the small gold castle in his hand and sighed. "You know that was the best three days of my life."

"Yeah, Fantasy Land. They sure pegged that name right." She rolled her eyes trying to lighten the weight of his words.

"You're here now though. So it's not fantasy. It's reality. A reality I want."

"Jason" she pulled from his grasp and he tried to catch her from leaving his arms but all he ended up with was a handful of his leather jacket she wore on the ride, as it shrugged off of her. She walked toward the cobblestone bridge and once at the wall she turned to face him. "We hardly know each other. I…it…Disney was wonderful but that's not reality. The hotel after our dinner, that's reality. The restaurant at the Metrocourt, that's reality. The fact that I am a single mother with a bastard child and no pot to piss in, that's reality."

"Don't call him that." His voice was low and held a hint of anguish.

"What?" she was surprised.

"Cameron, he's not a bastard." His voice told of his attempt to reign in his anger at her words. It cracked and air filled most of it.

"Oh, I don't mean that literally or well figuratively or well…Look, I love my little boy with all of my heart. He is the most precious gift the world has ever given me. I don't think of him as anything less than a miracle. I don't regret anything because of that miracle. But the fact of the matter is that the world looks at me and says, you have a fatherless child, you don't have a proper education. You can barely support yourself much less your child. Those that know me well even pity me because…"

"Because what?" he stepped closer to her wanting the feel of her skin under his palms and against his body again.

Shaking from her fears that have always plagued her she looked up at him, "Let's just say I'm not necessarily the woman that men want to take home to mom or plan a life with. Too much baggage."

"What are you talking about Elizabeth? You are wonderful. You are beautiful and smart and talented and caring. You are great with people, especially children. You may not have a lot but you seem to have worked hard for everything you do have. And you are EXACTLY the woman THIS man wants to plan a life with."

With his speech he closed the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. Not too close because he wanted to see her face, see her eyes. Study her emotions and interpret her registration of his words. She saw herself as damaged goods and she couldn't be farther from the truth. She was perfection.

"You don't even know me."

"You know, you keep saying that. I know enough. I know enough about you and your little boy to know that you are what I want. Both of you. You make me feel…you make me feel things I never have before. I am protective of the people I love by nature but with you it's more. I want to do everything possible to keep even the slightest frown form on yours or Cameron's faces. I know that's unrealistic, especially with my life, but it's true just the same. I want to teach Cameron things and help you raise him. I want to wake up every morning knowing that you are beside me and Cameron is in my home, OUR home. I want to start my day having breakfast with you and Cameron, plan my day with you and him in it and end my day with you in my arms. I want to ease your burdens and give you a life fit for a queen. I want…" he laughed because he knew how ridiculous his next statement was going to sound but he was going to say it anyway. "I want to be your Prince Charming. Exactly how it reads in the fairy tale. I want to be the one who saves you from the evil spell and…we all…you, me and Cameron, live happily ever after, the end."

"Wow" was all she could squeak out. He was serious. He was moving way too fast but he was serious. How could it be possible? Why? What made this man want her so much?

A long silence was held between them. The longer it grew the more nervous Jason became. Her face played many emotions and he was growing weary trying to decipher them.

"Please say something, anything." He finally requested.

"I…I don't know what to say. You're serious." She sounded incredulous. As if his words couldn't possibly be true.

"Yes, I am but I know you aren't ready for all that entails. I can wait. I am patient. If I am anything, it's patient." Now came the hard part. The part he needed to talk to her about but feared would be the driving force that kicked her head into gear and left him in her wake fleeing as fast as she can. "However, being with me isn't…well there would be some things right off the bat that would change."

"Like what?" she leaned into him and rested her cheek against his chest. He felt the shiver and knew the cool spring night air was probably a little too crisp for her thin sweater. He picked up his leather jacket he had slung over the wall of the bridge and wrapped it around her shoulders then pulled her close to his body.

"First of all, like I said before…there are things I can't tell you. None of them are directed at you but Sonny and I…our business…it's just best if you don't know a lot about it. It protects you from…"

"Perjury?"

He was astonished at her words. It was shocking but refreshing because she was so forthcoming. "Well, yes that's part of it. It also protects you from our enemies. Our enemies have always known that we DO NOT include women or children in our life. Well, in our business at least. It keeps you safe. You don't know anything and that actually IS to your advantage."

"Okay so ignorance is bliss, I'm with ya so far."

He smiled down at her. He knew she was scared, he could feel it in her breathing but she was being strong and tough so he could get out everything he had to say and she could process all of it at once instead of pieces at a time. It's what he should have done from the beginning but he was the one scared. Scared she would run.

"You and Cam would need guards. I would have guards assigned to each of you immediately. You wouldn't notice them but they would be there. Just in case."

"In case what?" she asked.

"In case someone tried to hurt me by hurting you. You would be my greatest strength but you would also be my biggest weakness to my enemies. They would know you were a way to get to me. To get anything they wanted from me."

"But I wouldn't know anything." She reasoned.

"You wouldn't but they would know how important you are to me. How much you matter and that is my weakness in their eyes. You."

"Do you have guards?" she asked lifting her head to look at him.

"No. I don't need them. Sonny does but then again I am the one most of our enemies fear." He felt her shudder at his last words and he groaned and pulled her closer.

"I told you not all that you read was untrue."

"Okay, so everyone fears you. If that's true then why would we be in danger? I mean, they fear you. Wouldn't they fear what would happen to them if they hurt me or Cam?"

"Well, like I said, you are my greatest weakness. Most of them would fear my…"

"Wrath?"

"Wrath, well that's a good word for it. I would kill anyone who came close to hurting you and Cam. Elizabeth, I know this is so strange to you. This life is foreign to anything you have ever known but to be with me….well this is all part of it." He looked down at her. Her face was again buried in his chest. He kissed the top of her head and gave a tight squeeze. "I would protect you with my life. I would die before I let anything happen to the woman I love. And I do. I know this seems too soon but I know it like I know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. I love you Elizabeth."

"Okay, so these…enemies." She purposefully avoided his last statement and it didn't go unnoticed by him. "You would protect me and Cameron from them. And Cameron wouldn't be afraid of them? The guards I mean."

"No, my guys are good guys Elizabeth. They hold the same principles Sonny and I do. Michael and Morgan especially like Max and Milo. They are brothers and well…they can be kind of goofy acting around the children. That's not to say they are not effective in protecting them but they have a soft side that plays well with the boys. I would probably use one of them for Cameron or maybe Francis or Johnny. Johnny is more of a ladies man but he's pretty good with kids. I would put my best men guarding you and Cam when I couldn't be with you."

"So you would be guarding us most of the time?"

"No, well yes but that's different. I wouldn't be your guard per se. I wouldn't want to be in the back ground. I would want to be right there in the thick of it. I would be able to protect you myself when I spend time with you. And if it were up to me that would be most of the time."

"Sounds good."

"It does?" he pulled her back to look into her eyes. "So does that mean? I mean are you willing to see where all of this leads? You and me?"

"Yes but is that all? I mean, it feels like you have more to tell me."

"Well, I would like to set you up in a house. Maybe use one of our safe houses. They are already wired with top notch security and in safe neighborhoods and all. I would also give you a cell phone. Not the one I gave you already. This one would be state of the art with secured lines and a tracking device. And money. I would make sure you had everything you and Cameron needed. It's easier that way. When you struggle you become vulnerable."

"I don't want to be...what did that Lucky guy call it? Your mob moll? I don't want to be a kept woman Jason. I'm already fucked up enough, I don't need that as another in a long list of things I do that people look down on me for."

"Lucky, don't listen to Lucky. He's an ass. You aren't a mob moll. You are a woman. The woman I want to be with. You would be my girlfriend, not a mob moll. And you are not fucked up by the way. You are perfect."

"Jason, I am far from perfect."

"You're perfect to me."

"Yeah well, tell me that a year from now."

"I will Elizabeth, I will."


	19. Chapter 19

Counting to Ten

Chapter 19

He can't sleep. He has tried for the past three hours to no avail. Normally he would go for a ride but he already did that and doubted after his last ride that this ride would help. Especially since she was the reason why he couldn't sleep.

She wasn't beside him. It killed him to leave her at her hotel room door. He asked her to come home with him but her excuse was legitimate. She was going in to her new job at the museum tomorrow to get a feel for things, meet people and learn the lay of things from the owner. Mr. Rigby said it was normally very busy on Saturdays. Not so much in sales but in patrons coming in to view the art work he housed. She would get a lot out of following him around for the day.

When he suggested he stay with her, she turned him down flat. He didn't understand why. They had been having a wonderful evening, aside from the incident with Lucky. After some heavy kissing at the bridge, they rode to an all night diner because Kelly's and really most places were closed at almost midnight. He had her back at her hotel room by midnight. Her excuse was that she wouldn't get any sleep if he came in. She wasn't to be at the museum until noon but she wanted to be well rested. He didn't like it but couldn't argue. She had agreed to try and really that was all he could ask.

He still wanted her though. He wanted her in his arms. He wanted her in his bed. He wanted her love.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She can't sleep. She has tried for the past three hours to no avail. Normally she would paint but she didn't have her supplies here and simple sketches with pencil and paper weren't going to help. She knew what she would be drawing and that man was the whole reason she couldn't sleep in the first place.

She wasn't in his arms. He wasn't there beside her. Sure she had legitimate excuses for sending him home but she had such a wonderful night, save for the incident with that Lucky person. The motorcycle ride was exhilarating. They had talked and kissed at the bridge. Then had dinner at some old diner but now, he wasn't here.

He was patient and understanding. He hadn't pushed and really she needed her sleep for her day at the museum tomorrow. They were going to try a real relationship and he wanted her. That was all she could ask.

She still wanted him though. She wanted to be in his arms. She wanted to be in his bed or him in hers. She wanted his love.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Finally deciding they couldn't sleep each rose from their separate beds and decided a walk would help.

Oddly, kismet, karma or whatever mystical pull it was drew both of them down to the waterfront. The hotel was closer so when Jason finally strolled up to Barrister's Wharf where the bench he liked to sit on to think resided, he saw her sitting there. In his spot.

"Hey" he said softly putting his hand on her shoulder. However, the fact that a stranger walked up behind her at four thirty in the morning had her jump completely out of her skin.

Elizabeth immediately screamed and then started running. She never looked back. Panic set in. She knew better. She shouldn't be out in a strange place with so many dark corners in the middle of the night. She heard the footsteps. She hadn't gotten far. She had so much screaming in her head, she couldn't hear Jason yelling for her. All she could hear were the heavy footsteps gaining on her. She couldn't hear his voice calling her name, only the heavy breathing coming closer. She felt the arm go around her waist and she started to kick and scream again.

It was no use. She was already lifted off the ground. Already overpowered by her attacker. All she could see was the face. The evil, cratered, wrinkled and cracked face of her attacker. His stench, his nasty wet lips.

"**Please don't rape me again**!" She cried in a bellowing scream. She never opened her eyes. Never stopped fighting.

All of a sudden she was back on her feet and no hands were touching her. Had she gone unconscious? Was she even still alive? Was this actually a nightmare and she was back in her hotel room bed?

She opened her eyes slowly and saw Jason, wide eyed, slowly backing away with his palms up in surrender.

"Jason?" she squeaked trying to shake her brain into working order.

"I never raped you Elizabeth." His voice low and full of anger and hurt. He kept walking backward. "I would never"

She cut him off. "NO. You misunderstood."

"I heard you perfectly clear. If that's what you think happened that morning…I mean…you were a little shy and hesitant at times but you never told me to stop. I would never do that to you. To anyone."

He kept walking backward and she kept walking toward him but the distance was the same. Finally she stopped, pulled both hands to her face and let out an exasperated groan.

"Jason, you don't understand. Please stop and let me explain."

"Maybe…maybe I should go and you can explain over the phone or something."

"No Jason, you need to let me explain now."

"Elizabeth, you just accused me of raping you. Of trying to AGAIN. I don't really think I need to know. I don't know what's going on with you but I don't need trouble like that."

He had stopped at least. He wasn't still trying to get away from her so she knew she needed to get it out quickly before he did leave.

"Jason I was raped before and when you came up behind me my mind flashed back to my attacker."

He stepped two steps closer to her. "But I said your name, I said it was me."

"You did?" she shook her head "I didn't hear you. All I could hear were the footsteps, the breathing."

He was now standing in front of her. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms but the screaming probably already alerted the cops or a nosey dockworker on the midnight shift. He needed to get out of there. Surely, they would arrest him and ask questions later.

"Wait" Now he shook the thoughts out of his own head and focused on her words. "You were raped? When? Is Cam?"

"When I was fifteen." She dropped her head in shame. "The rapist isn't Cameron's father. I thought I told you about Cam's father."

"Not really. Just that his name is Zander and that he left you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really but I do owe you an explanation." She sighed. This is her fear. He won't want her. Not after hearing all of this. Who would? Why?

"Let's…let's sit down." He said motioning over to another bench on the dock. She walked over and sat down and when he looked at her, the tears were already flowing.

"Elizabeth…" He pulled her into his arms. "Please don't cry. I can't take it when you cry."

"Jason, my life is so fucked up. You aren't going to want to be with me when you hear all the stupid choices I've made."

"You let me be the judge of that." He stroked his hand down her back feeling her tremble and sob.

She sat up and pulled from his embrace. The tears still flowed but she needed to lay it out there. Even if he didn't want her after this, she had her memories. It was more than she had from any other relationships. Relationships. That was almost laughable if it weren't so sad. Truth be told, she never had a relationship with a man.

"When I was fifteen, I was raped. I was on my way home from my first high school dance and decided to go through the park in my neighborhood. A man grabbed me from behind and pulled me into the bushes and…well…you know." She proceeded to explain a lot of the details, stopping when it became too real in her mind as if she were reliving it again. Like she's done a hundred times since that night. "It took me a long time to get over it. I've only had sex three times. I can't…well…I don't have experience a man like you would want. I'm not enough for you but you say all the right things and…just forget it. I don't know what I'm saying."

He lowered her hands from her face and lifted her chin with his finger. Once her deep blue eyes were looking into his, he responded. "I want you to look at me when I tell you this. I want you to see that I am telling you the truth. You are everything I want. I don't care if I am only the third man you have been with. I loved every minute of being with you. You gave me more pleasure than I have ever felt with a woman."

All she could focus on was the miscommunication. He thought he was the third. God, now she needed to explain Ric. She had considered never telling him. Maybe she would never see Ric. Maybe he wouldn't remember her. This was not going good. She should have stayed in bed.

"Jason, you aren't the third. I mean you are but…" she sighed but kept her eyes trained on his. "I don't consider my rape as having sex. I mean it was sex but it wasn't with my consent so I don't count it. After I was raped, I never wanted to even have a boyfriend for the longest time. Then in college, Zander and I became great friends. We got drunk one night in our senior year and Cameron was a result. Then after I had Cam, I met a man and had a one night stand. It was stupid and really something I regret but…well, I am not known for making the smartest decisions in my life. I've never even been in a relationship with a man. Not like what you expect. Then again, of course, that one night stand is probably the main reason you'll never want to see me again."

"Elizabeth what are you talking about? Why would I…I would never judge you or decide to be with you because of a one night stand you had years ago. Hell, I've had one night stands." 'Plenty of them', he thought. "Why would your one night stand be the reason I never want to see you?"

"Because you know him. Actually, the newspaper article said he is your most hated enemy." She lowered her head. She didn't know what she was going to hear but she didn't have to face him to hear it.

"Who?" was his simple reply. He had plenty of enemies. Most hated had several people on the list starting with his brother, Sonny's brother, Lucky, Sorel, Doctor Jones, Deke, Taggart, Alcazar, Manny Ruiz, Anthony Zacharra. Hell this rapist, this man who had violated Elizabeth had just topped his list and he didn't even know the swine.

"Ric Lansing" She looked up. She didn't know why but she did. She needed to see the look in his eyes.

"Lansing? Why would you? How did you? Where did you?" exasperated he let out a loud groan and scrubbed his face with his hands. "How do you know Ric?"

"He was in town, Denver, a few years ago. Cameron was just a baby, maybe six months old. I was working as a waitress and he was in town. He said he was looking to take the Assistant DA spot in Denver. He was really nice, at first. We talked for a long time. He took me out to dinner, met my Grams and my brother Steven. He played with Cam while I was getting ready for our date. He started talking about how he had never met a woman like me. How he always hoped to find someone like me. He talked about how he loved kids and wanted to settle down. Then once I slept with him he just got up and left. I remember his last words like it was yesterday. He said 'Why would any man want a woman like you? You are like a cold dead fish in bed. You don't know what it takes to please a man and you already have a bastard child. The father probably left you because you aren't worth it. You think I want to ruin my reputation and career over a whore like you.' And then he just left. He said those exact words to me and then left me in the hotel room like some piece of trash."

Jason was fuming. He always knew Ric was a grade A asshole but to take Elizabeth, sweet, innocent Elizabeth and shred her confidence, her heart, her trust like that. The man didn't deserve to breathe the same air that she did. With the timeline, that had to be just before he came to Port Charles.

He pulled her into his arms and just held her. He watched the sun rise over the water while he held her in his arms. This is exactly what he wanted all night but not like this. Not with her spirit broken.


	20. Chapter 20

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 20

"She's flying back tonight. I have to go with her. Diane, you have to get that whole 'stay in the state' crap thrown out of court. Today."

"Jason, man you got it bad." Sonny smiled as he walked across the living room of Greystone and poured himself a tall glass of bottled water. He looked down and smoothed his silk red tie while he listened for the inevitable.

"Jason, I can get you acquitted for murder. I can get you bailed out of jail before the cuffs are finished clicking on your wrists. I can even get you the name of a great designer so you could actually dress like a man of wealth instead of the bag boy at the Food Mart my assistant shops at but for the life of me, I can not, WILL NOT go to Alexis Davis and say 'Pretty please with sugar and honey, let Jason Morgan, a man charged with attempted murder, fly to Colorado with his new girlfriend that he has known for less THAN A MONTH!"

"Diane, I pay you…Sonny and I pay you well. I have never asked you to do me special favors. I am asking now. Get me on a plane to Colorado without going to fucking jail."

"YOU haven't asked me to do special favors? Jason, do you realize that all the criminal cases I have handled in the past three years have been to save your sorry, while very sexy derriere? And when you were on trial for Alcazar's murder, who put up with that insipid sniveling teenaged geek that lives with you? And who worked miracles…miracles I say while missing fashion week when you jumped bail the last time?" she turned sharply in her classic Jimmy Choo pumps and stalked over to where Jason was standing near the door. "I believe that was me Mr. Morgan. You may not ask in words but you have me performing litigious miracles on a regular basis keeping your beautiful blue eyes looking into the eyes of your women instead of a large man named Bubba hat wants to call you Jasmine and make you his bitch."

Sonny laughed. He couldn't help it. The two people in the room that worked for him were the most opposite of opposites. He didn't have to look to know that Jason's nostrils were flaring and his fists were clinching. He didn't have to see with his eyes, the sharp smirk Diane was holding on her face. He knew without looking that the two were practically nose to nose and not from Jason's doing but from his high dollar, and worth every penny, lawyer. She had shrilled while stalking toward his enforcer because she knew he would never so much as breath hard on her for fear it would wound the woman.

He also knew that as soon as she left Jason was going to explode. That's why he put a stop to the conversation. "Diane, I'm only going to say this once. You find a way so that Jason can leave the state. You march down there and promise Alexis one of your two thousand dollar pocket books for all I care but you get him what he wants. I am not going to remind you that it is Jason that kept after me to hire you. I am not going to remind you that it was Jason who has stood up for you and Max and this ridiculous affair you two are having and I am not going to remind you that Jason, personally has never been a reason for you to have to bill me triple. That would be me. Now, you go figure out what it will take and then do it. I'll give you two hours. At hour number three, you will have two choices. You can quit and follow Max to Puerto Rico or you can stay and work for me while your loverboy works for the next year out of the country. Either way, if you aren't telling Jason to fly the friendly skies in two hours, on hour number three it will be Max doing the flying. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal" she spit through gritted teeth as she watched Jason pull his arms up and cross them over his chest. He didn't smile or even let the hint of a smirk show in his face but she knew it was there. Jason Morgan doesn't show his feelings but she knew the infuriating hitman with an oh too casual Abercrombie & Fitch style WAS smirking. On the inside.

"Hmm" she said after eyeing the man of topic then stalked over to the chair, picked up her briefcase and her Luis Vuitton original handbag. "Sonny, I'll get Jason free of the restriction on his bail but I WILL be charging you triple. You better believe it!"

Once Diane left the room, Jason walked over to the couch and sat down. Sonny turned and watched him for a moment and then sat in his favorite chair. He remained quiet while he studied his enforcer. Ever since Jason came to him confused, barely in his twenties, homeless because he refused any Quartermaine money or help and looking for someone to guide him without asking him to be someone he wasn't, he knew when Jason wanted his advice but wouldn't ask it. Now was one of those times.

Sonny crossed his leg and steepled his hands in front of him. "Just be honest with her Jason."

"What?"

"This Elizabeth woman. Just be honest with her. If she cares about you and is interested in a relationship, she'll accept what we do. She'll accept the things we can't change. If she doesn't, then it wasn't meant to be. But if you aren't honest with her, then you don't have a chance in hell of this, whatever it is, working."

"Sonny, that's not it. Well, it's part of it. She…I have told her what I can and she seems to be taking it mostly in stride. It's what I found out the other night that has me"

"Paranoid? Is it paranoid Jason because that's what it looks like? And I've gotta say man, it's not a look I want to see from my second in command. You can't do your job if you are worried about some woman."

"It's not paranoid. I am just worried about her."

"Well what's the problem?"

"She's…young. Well she's not so much young as she is" he looked up at Sonny. He wasn't going to talk to Sonny about his love life or hers. It was none of his business and Sonny never would give the right advice about that anyway. He certainly was not the role model for how to handle or treat women. He may be able to get women, many, many women but to Jason, he treated them like he treated his suits or his prized racing horses. They were possessions. That's why he was already showing signs of trouble with Kate. That's why he never worked with Carly or Brenda or Sam or well any of the women in his life. He just wasn't the man he wanted advice from.

"Inexperienced? Green? Shrewish? Pruddish? What Jason?"

"She's had it pretty rough. Listen, you can't say anything. She would probably hate me but she was raped when she was a teenager. It…it still haunts her sometimes. I came up behind her on the docks the other night and she didn't even notice it was me. She just started kicking and screaming and yelling for me not to rape her again. It scared the hell out of me Sonny."

"Wow, you know you have to handle women that have been violated like that carefully. You can't push her man. Is that what it is? You are ready and she isn't?"

"No, it's nothing like that. Look never mind. Forget I said anything."

"No, no I want to help. Why don't you just show her how you feel without showing her sexually? At least for now, just let her come to you. She will when she's ready."

"I said that's not the problem, although I wouldn't blame her if it was. We've already had sex but…she just she's really been hurt. I don't think she has had one male relationship that was healthy except maybe her brother and her son. Her parents apparently don't even care enough about her to be around."

"Well then show her that you can be trusted and you can protect her. That's what she needs. She needs to KNOW that she is protected."

"Yeah, you know when she was kicking and screaming she didn't even know what to do. That didn't sit well with me either. She can't defend herself. Spinelli could have overpowered her."

"Well that says a lot."

"Yeah, I know." Jason laughed.

"Why don't you give her some pointers? Teach her how to defend herself. You know, you didn't have to do that with Carly but any woman in our lives needs to know how to at least fight off an attacker so that they can run away."

"I'll think about it." He said but still sat there. Sonny noticed. Jason makes up his mind and then takes action. Yet here he was still sitting here. Obviously, that wasn't all of it.

"What's the rest of it? Is there more that's bothering you?" Sonny asked cautiously.

"Ric"

"Ric? My brother Ric? What does he have to do with this?" Sonny was curious how his weasel of a younger brother factored in to this. He knew Jason hated him. Hell, the only reason Ric Lansing still breathed was because Sonny wouldn't let Jason kill him. He couldn't allow that to happen out of respect for his mother.

"She met Ric one time. He was typical Ric, all gracious and gentlemanly until he got what he wanted then he became the ass we know him to be."

"She dated Ric? You know Jason, are you sure this isn't some plot of Ric's? I mean, she isn't working with Ric to try to get you distracted or something is she. You know he's working with the Zacharra family with his father now."

"No, she isn't involved with him. She can't stand him but he still hurt her. Sonny, you know if he wasn't your brother" He stopped. Sonny knew the rest of the statement. He didn't need to voice it for the umpteenth time about how his brother Ric deserved to die more than the people of New Orleans deserved hurricane relief.

"I know. You know it's not that I don't agree with you but"

"I know. Your mother. I may not understand but I won't do anything, out of respect for you."

"You want to beat the shit out of him again don't you?"

"Like I want to breathe clean air and ride my motorcycle on the cliff roads. And I'll tell you Sonny, if he ever hurts her again…if he ever even looks in her direction, I will make him pay. You won't be able to stop me."

"Just don't do something that puts you behind bars for good. That won't help Elizabeth either."

"I know but to me, she's worth any suffering I would have to go through so that she didn't."

"You really do have it bad. Are you in love with her Jason?" Sonny was surprised. His enforcer hadn't acted this way since Robin. Even his beloved sister didn't illicit this type of feral rage, deep devotion or protective instincts.

"Yes" One simple word. It was all that was necessary so Jason stood, gave a nod of his head and headed toward the door.

"I'll call you when Diane gets things cleared for you to go. Are you taking the jet?"

"Yes, I'm going to the warehouse but I won't be there long. I am picking up Elizabeth from the museum then we're leaving. Even if Diane doesn't succeed I'm going Sonny."

"I know." Sonny replied, and he did. Jason never let the law stop him when he wanted to do something. It was just up to Sonny to move the law out of Jason's way. That was why his legal fees sometimes resembled the national debt.

Jason had already left. He didn't even hear Sonny's response. He didn't need to. Sonny knew how Jason worked. He didn't usually try to stand in his way. That's why Jason had stayed so loyal to Sonny over the years. He didn't try to suppress Jason's instincts. He just reacted to them if he needed to. Jason was the same way with Sonny.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth was walking on air. She was so happy. A man, a beautiful, loving and caring man wanted her. WANTED HER. She was beside herself. She had never felt so loved. Her job was so rewarding. She knew once Mr. Rigby actually left her to tend to the museum herself it would become hard but she was excited about the challenge. And he trusted her. He thought she was smart and savvy and perfect to run his museum. Her life was perfect.

Except for one thing. Her son Cameron wasn't there. Elizabeth had never been away from Cameron for more than a few hours at a time. Now it had been five days and she ached, literally ached to hold him in her arms. To hear him ramble about Spongebob or The Wiggles or what happened on Sesame Street today. She spoke to him every day. Once in the morning and once just before he was going to bed but it wasn't the same.

This morning, Jason had seen and experienced her heart ache after hanging up the phone. She hadn't meant for him to see it. Each night she would make the call away from him. She would let herself cry and then pull herself together before she saw him. However, this morning she just couldn't stop crying. When he came to pick her up to drive her in to Crimson Pointe to the museum, she hadn't managed to pull herself out of her despair.

As soon as she opened the door he could tell she had been crying. Her light layer of makeup and the wide smile didn't disguise the quivering chin or the swell and reddening of her eyes. He instantly pulled her into his arms and held her. Silently he kicked himself for leaving her the might before.

His problem was that since he found out she was raped and how inexperienced she was he became almost standoffish. He was afraid of pushing himself on her. He didn't want her to ever feel uncomfortable around him so if they needed to step back, A LOT in their relationship, he would. The only problem was that when he had her in his arms, when he kissed her, his body didn't listen to his head. His head said stop, take a turtles pace with her. His body wanted to take the role of the rabbit. No holds barred. No barriers. Warp speed.

That is why he had left her at her hotel room every night since they talked on the docks. That is why he slept alone in his bed, when he could sleep. Why she slept alone in hers. That is why he felt so guilty when he found her that morning. She was crying and he wasn't there for her.

Once he discovered the reason for her tears, Jason did what Jason always does. Find an easy solution to make the hurt and pain go away. Which is why the first words out of his mouth were, 'Then let's go get him. I'll get the jet ready and we'll leave right after you get off work. We'll be back here in time for his bedtime, I'll have his favorite meal waiting for us on the plane and I'll get Letecia to keep him with Morgan tomorrow while you are working. I'll make sure she can keep him as long as you need her to. Carly won't mind and Morgan and Cameron got along great. Stop crying Elizabeth. I'll fix this. I'll always do anything to keep you from being sad. I can't handle you like this. I don't ever want you sad. Will you let me?'

Before she let all the words register in her mind she blurted out 'YES'.

This was why she was so happy. Why she was walking on air. She was going to have her little boy in her arms. She was going to read him his Chuggin Charlie book before he went to bed and she was going to be the first one he saw in the morning when he woke up.

Now if she could only get Jason to even touch her. She wanted to be the first one he saw in the morning too.


	21. Chapter 21

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 21

When they boarded the plane, the co-pilot took Elizabeth's portfolio and purse and stored it for her. He then offered her some champagne. Elizabeth declined because she didn't want to be drunk or even tipsy when she saw her little boy. She moved about the cabin of the jet, looking around. She had never been on a private jet before and it was fascinating how homey it seemed. She opened doors and cabinets and audibly gasped when one door led to a bedroom. Her eyes drifted to Jason who had been talking with the pilot the entire time since they ascended the steps. He gave her a pained smile and she again wondered what was wrong.

Since the night she told him about her rape and more importantly about Ric, he hadn't shied away from her but his demeanor turned rather timid. Before, he was constantly romancing her. Wanting more, never pushing to the point of being uncomfortable but always making sure she knew he wanted her, physically. Now, he would hold her hand, put an arm around her, hug her and even sometimes kiss her but never too passionately. Never with the deep rooted desire she was used to. Unfortunately, that's what always seemed to happened to Elizabeth Imogene Webber. Once a man gets to know her, he doesn't want her. Jason was simply being polite. He was letting her down easy instead of the harsh, cruel manner that Zander or Ric did. He really was a being a gentleman. And Elizabeth was sick of it.

After inspecting the plane, Elizabeth moved to the large white leather sofa along a wall of plane windows. She noticed a box with a car seat on the picture and smiled. Jason thought of Cameron. He thinks of everything. He is so generous. He was also fast becoming so confusing. It was impossible to understand him. She watched as Jason left the front of the airplane where the pilot had disappeared.

"The weather looks good the entire flight and there are no hold ups so we should be at your grandmothers front door within three and a half hours. That will be seven here so that's five there." He smiled at her and then promptly took his seat on a chair across from her.

Elizabeth groaned. She rolled her eyes and she groaned and for the life of him, Jason most certainly did not expect that response.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing" she voiced coldly crossing her arms and turning on the couch to look at the activity on the runway outside the nearest window.

"It's not nothing. Is there a problem with me going with you? Are you not ready for me to meet your family? I can wait on the plane if you want." He watched as she fidgeted. She glanced his way which led him to believe he had guessed correctly. "I'll just wait on the plane. I have some coffee invoices I brought with me that I need to go over. I'll just meet your family some other time. Whenever you're ready."

"Some other time? Why?" she asked turning fully to face him again.

"What do you mean why? I would think that your brother and your grandmother would want to meet the man you are dating."

"Is that what we're doing?"

"Well…y..e..s?" he didn't understand the question now and he wasn't sure where her mind was taking them. He had found that she regularly confused him but it didn't make it any easier to deal with each time she did it.

"Hmm" she refolded her arms and realigned herself with facing out of the plane window.

Jason took the few folders he had just removed from the courier bag and dropped them down on the desk beside him. He then scrubbed his face with his hand and went to stand. Before he could, the pilot announced for them to buckle their seat belts, they had just been cleared for take off.

Jason sat back down and watched to make sure she buckled herself in properly then mimicked the action himself. No matter how many times Jason flew, he was acutely aware of everything during take off and it always stilled and silenced him. Not that THAT was any great feat.

Fifteen minutes later, the Lear jet had leveled off and the pilot announced they were at a safe altitude to move about the cabin. Jason unbuckled his seat belt and looked over at Elizabeth. She had been watching him and he was very much aware of it but still the take off stifled him. Now, he could ask the question he had wanted to ask for too long.

"Are you sure you want to be with me Elizabeth? I mean, my life isn't an easy one to live with. I would understand if you didn't want to be with me. It would hurt but I would understand."

"Me be with you? I think you mean that the other way around. It's not me that can barely stand to be within five feet of you."

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I know. I tell you about my rape and inexperience and…and Ric and you can't get away from me fast enough. I mean, I know you are trying to be polite Jason but we don't have to pretend."

"Pretend what? Wait? What?"

"I understand that after really finding out about me it's a turn off. Trust me, you don't get to be twenty seven and have only had sex three times to realize that you don't turn guys on. I'm just grateful you're still being so nice to me. Maybe we could just be friends."

"Elizabeth, what are you talking about? I don't want to be friends."

She cut in dejectedly, "Oh"

"No you don't get it. I want…well I do want to be your friend but I want more. So much more. I have told you that."

"Well all I know is that since I told you about the rape and Ric, you barely even touch me. I mean, you have touched me like you would your sister or your best friend's girl. Nice polite hugs and all. You've kissed me a few times but there's a difference. You've changed."

"I don't want to push you."

"You don't. You never have pushed me. Except now you're pushing me away."

He stood, crossed the small room and sat next to her pulling her into his chest. He kissed the top of her head and ran a finger down her bare arm. "I don't want to push you away Elizabeth. I love you. I just don't want to take things too fast for you. You've been hurt so much. I never want to be the one that hurts you."

"Well you're hurting me now. I thought we were really getting close and then all of a sudden it's like we're miles apart."

"I don't want that."

"I don't either. Please, you say you love me. Show me."

"Show you?"

She pulled from his embrace and stood. She reached out her hand to him. "Yes, show me."

He looked at her hand then up at her face. He could see the hope, the need, the desire in her eyes. He stood and let her pull him toward the bedroom. Once they entered, she moved behind him and shut the door. She brushed past his shoulder as she moved over to the bed. She sat on the edge and looked up at him. With a hand outstretched, she beckoned him. "Show me you love me."

His willpower snapped. She wanted him. She physically wanted his love. His body ached to show her. It had for days, weeks. All he had to do was get past the fear he had that held him at arms length.

She could see his hesitation. She could see the war he was waging with himself. She needed to let him know that he was desired. That she was ready. She needed him to know that he wasn't hurting her by being intimate. She stood back up and slid her body up into his. Her hands splayed across his chest. She noticed, for the first time, he was wearing a dress shirt and pants. She smiled at the recognition that he had dressed up to meet her family.

Jason looked down at Elizabeth. She was so close. He could feel the swell of her breasts against his stomach. He could feel her hands moving across his ever tightening chest. He felt his heart pounding. He wrapped his arms around her and slid one hand up to the back of her neck. He then leaned down to brush his lips across hers. She instantly opened her mouth to invite his tongue. Their tongues moved in unison, seeking the others, searching the crevasses of each others mouths.

He felt his buttons being undone. He felt the slight pull of his dress shirt loosening and lifting from the waist of his pants. Time stood still as he felt her cool delicate fingers trace the outline of his chest muscles. She pulled away from the kiss and he groaned when he felt her lips trace his jaw line. Quickly he pulled her in tighter to his body so she could feel how aroused he was. He told himself if she tensed or pulled back, even slightly, he would stop.

She moaned. One hand slowly worked through his hair at the nape of his neck while the other slid down his torso and gently cupped his hardening member from outside of his pants. She was going to be the death of him. As she slowly stroked, she kissed his neck. She bit his adam's apple then ran her tongue across the wound. He reached up and pulled her hair slightly so he could capture her mouth again with his own.

They kissed, eating at each others mouths hungrily as she used her one hand to push and then pull his shirt from his body. He let go of her long enough to let the shirt fall to the floor at their feet then snaked an arm around her waist while replanting the other hand in her hair to control their kiss. Her mild ministrations over his erection increased and he pulled his hand from her waist to grab her wrist.

"You keep that up and you'll end this before it begins."

"Oh? Okay." Was all she said and he could tell from her response just how inexperienced she truly was. Silently he pleaded with his body to go slowly and take her gently. He already warred with himself about the times he got rough with her their first time. He now recognized those times as being when she was the most hesitant. He just assumed it was because they didn't know each other but now he knew that she probably had not experienced some of the things he did to her. He definitely was recognizing the things she didn't do. The thought of teaching her both excited and scared the hell out of him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You were wonderful." He breathed into her ear. He knew she needed to hear those words. He also knew a more experienced woman would not have needed to because of the moans and groans she had elicited from him during their lovemaking but he wanted to make sure she knew she had satisfied him.

She sighed. He pulled her closer into his side. He never wanted this moment to end. They had just spent the last hour and a half passionately loving one another and it still wasn't enough. He could make love to her endlessly.

'_Mr. Morgan, we will be landing in Denver in twenty minutes. Please prepare for landing.' _Came through the loud speakers.

The voice startled her and she pulled the covers over her to hide herself. Jason gave a soft laugh and rolled away from her to retrieve his clothes from the floor. "They can't see us."

"I know but it freaked me out."

"I get that." He pulled his boxers and dark brown dress pants up. He watched as she moved to put her clothes on. He groaned loudly as he watched her wiggle her ass as she shimmied into her lilac panties then moved to help her fasten the matching bra.

Turning her in his arms he leaned down for a chaste kiss to her lips. "I love you. I hope you know that. I want you to hear me say that every day until you have no doubts."

"Jason, I…" she stopped, not sure what to say.

"I know…you aren't there yet. I can wait."

"It's not that. I don't…I feel like I love you but I have never felt this way before. I KNOW that I am falling in love with you. I knew that the day I met you."

"That's enough. To know we are heading in the right direction is enough. Now let's go get our little boy."

"Our?"

"Well, yours but…I want to be part of his life. I know you have missed him and I can't even begin to know how that has felt you being away from him but he's…well, he's something special. I really care about your son Elizabeth."

"He really likes you too. But Jason, I could take anything you did to hurt me. I mean…it would hurt but…well my son is a whole other ballgame. I will never forgive anyone who hurts my son. That includes you."

He nodded in agreement and lowered his lips to hers again. He trailed a line of kisses from her mouth to the shell of her ear. He pulled her lobe into his mouth and bit softly then whispered. "I promise I'll never intentionally hurt you or your son. Trust me."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Jason had rented a simple sedan from the local airport. He didn't want to seem pretentious when meeting her grandmother and possibly her brother. Although he wanted to rent a limo because he remembered how excited Cameron was when they rode in the one at Disney World, he felt it was prudent on his part to meet his grandmother without a display of wealth.

Elizabeth had laughed at his explanation, even going so far in her teasing of him that she said she was getting used to his buying her and Cameron's affections. At first he didn't know how to take that statement but then quickly realized, from the roll of her eyes, that she was teasing him. He liked this level of comfort he and Elizabeth were now realizing with each other and hoped meeting her family would enhance that comfort.

The GPS system was a waste of his money because every time the rented equipment told him to take a left, Elizabeth would say the thing didn't know what it was saying and she would give different directions. After his first hesitation she became incensed so instead he followed her directions and ignored the monotone information coming from the car's speakers. She took him down back streets and byways that, according to her, would help them avoid the rush hour traffic. Living in New York for so long, he couldn't see any of this traffic but she insisted it was horrible.

Finally pulling into a two car driveway of a two story house with old worn shutters and sets of double French doors practically spanning the entire length of the front of the house encased by a wooden porch, he shut off the silver Dodge 300 and pulled the keys from the ignition. He took in a large amount of air into his lungs and glancing in the rearview mirror ran his fingers through his hair.

"Are you nervous?" Elizabeth asked smiling at the normally unfrazzled enforcer.

"A little bit. Do you know if your brother is here?"

"I don't see his car but that doesn't necessarily mean he's not here. Sometimes he and Gram travel to and from work in one vehicle."

"Oh, you mean both of them might not be here?"

Before she could answer, one of the center two French doors swung open and a tall, thin gray haired woman in casual pants and a nurse's top exited the house with Cameron in her arms. As soon as Cameron saw Elizabeth through her opened car door he screamed and wiggled from the old woman's arms.

"MOMMY!" the curly headed boy raced for his mother, arms up in the air.

"HEY BABY!" she yelled as she scooped the little boy up in her arms and hugged him tight, breathing in his scent while twirling him in the driveway. The tears quickly started to roll down her cheeks but Jason knew they were tears of joy and relief.

Jason quickly hustled from his side of the car to enjoy the reunion. When he got to the front of the car he was met with the older woman's glaring inspection.

"JASON!" Cam yelled while still hugging his mother. He made no attempts to move from her embrace but he acknowledged Jason and that was more than enough for the nervous outsider.

"Grams, this is Jason Morgan. The man Cameron and I have told you about. Jason, this is my grandmother Audrey Hardy."

Jason shook the older woman's hand and she pulled him into a one armed embrace. Loud enough for everyone to hear she said, "So nice to meet you Jason. I have heard such wonderful things about you from my granddaughter and great grandson." Then she whispered in his ear so that only he would hear her, "and read some very disturbing things."

Wonderful. Yet another in a long line of people that judge him by the articles they read about him. This woman wanted him to know that she knows what he does but didn't want her granddaughter to know she knew it. Hmm? Jason was stumped as to how to proceed from there.

Luckily Elizabeth took the lead and wrapped her arm around his waist. His arm instantly came up behind her back and wrapped around her shoulders so that he could tousle the little boys curls with his hand.

"Hey Cameron, long time no see. Have you been a good boy since you came home from Disney World?" Jason focused on Cameron.

"Yeah, you made me promise to be good so I have been. Hey, why did you have a mergency? I woke up and you and Morgan and…and…and"

"Michael" Elizabeth came to his aid.

"Yeah Michael were gone. I thought we were going to have a boat ride."

"Well, why don't I take you on a boat ride in Port Charles. Deal?"

"You always making deals Jason. Yeah, it's a deal." The little boy said and Elizabeth and Jason gave a knowing laugh. That did seem to be Jason's way of convincing him of everything while they were at Disney World. Take a bath and I'll read you a story, deal? Be good for Michael and we'll go for a boat ride, deal? Stop being mean and taking Morgan's toys and I'll get you an ice cream, deal?

"What does that mean?" Audrey asked looking first at her granddaughter and then at Jason.

"Oh Grams, Jason would just make deals with Cam to get him to behave. It's no biggie. It was actually kind of cute."

"Yeah, um…it's probably not the healthiest way to get a child to act a certain way but it has always worked for me with my nephews." Jason added.

"Well, I don't believe making deals with a child is unhealthy as long as it isn't out and out bribery." Audrey said in a light tone with a hint of stern to her voice. Jason took the statement for what it was and felt a little more at ease. It's better to know where someone was coming from and if he was going to have to fight his demons with this woman, he was glad he could expect her to be frank with him.

"No bribery, promise." He replied and pulled Elizabeth in tighter to his side.

Cameron wiggled from his mother's tight embrace and stretched his arms over to Jason. Jason gladly took the little boy and once he had him on his hip, he turned to Elizabeth and lifted his free hand to wipe the tears from her face.

Audrey quickly pulled Elizabeth into her arms and the two women hugged. Cameron took this time to start chatting away with Jason, peppering him with questions. Jason answered as best he could and simply laughed at some of the more exasperating ones. The crowd gravitated toward the house and soon Jason was sitting on a flower print sofa in a formal living room with dark walnut furniture that looked to be antique but had a cozy feel. He had Cameron on his lap, Elizabeth nestled to his side and a glass of ice water in his hand.

Jason was grateful that during the half hour of small talk, the older woman never said anything to intentionally make him feel uncomfortable. There were a few comments he felt sure had meaning of her acute awareness of his _business_ dealings but she remained gracious throughout the conversation. She even thanked him for taking care of her granddaughter and great grandson while on vacation and also while in New York.

The shocker was when she announced toward the end of their conversation of her considering retiring from the hospital and moving to New York to be close to her family. Elizabeth protested saying that it wouldn't be necessary and that she was a grown woman who didn't need her grandmother following her to another state. The older woman reasoned that she could buy a house big enough for the three of them and that she could provide the needed daycare for Cameron. Jason remained quiet through it all but secretly prayed the older woman wouldn't move. He was already hoping the couple of months she was planning to stay with Elizabeth wasn't going to ground their relationship before it took flight.

In the end, Jason carried out boxes full of toys, stuffed animals and dvd's and three rather large suitcases of clothes. They all climbed into the car and while Jason fastened, checked and re-checked Cameron's car seat, Elizabeth and her grandmother said their goodbye's and discussed her arrival the following Friday in Port Charles. Elizabeth assured her by then she would have an apartment with a third room for her. The older woman protested but Elizabeth insisted she would need the extra room for her painting supplies and to use when she or Steven visited. In the end, the older woman simply scolded her into not renting something she could not afford and let the subject drop.

With a quick nod of his head, Jason started up the car and waited for Elizabeth to fasten her seatbelt then pulled from the driveway.

"See that wasn't so bad." Elizabeth immediately started.

"What's not so bad Mommy?" Cameron asked.

"Jason thought Grams was going to put him in a time out or something." The young mother giggled.

"I did not but I didn't want to risk it." Jason laughed along with her then winked at Cameron in the rearview mirror.

"You gotta be pretty bad for Grams to put you in time out. I only get it when I bring dirt in from the back yard or when I throw things in the house and break something." Cameron's inside scoop had Jason sigh in contentment. This is exactly what was missing in his life.

He placed a reassuring hand on Elizabeth's thigh and leaned his head back. He turned on to the freeway toward the airport. He was taking his new family home.


	22. Chapter 22

Counting to Ten

Chapter 22

Authors Note: A part of this chapter was the sole idea of Swish and Surfingrams. Almost instantaneously when I asked about another Liason milestone or famous scene I should incorporate into this story both responded with the same answer. You'll see and KNOW once you get to that part of this chapter. So, with that said, they didn't write it but inspired it. If you like the chapter, thank you. If you hate it, it's all THEIR fault. LOL

PS: Thank you to ALL of the well wishes, encouragement and comments. This story has fed from one stupid idea and now it's a full blown story. I see the ending in my head but am not sure how I'll get there. Thanks for all that have taken the Disney tour with me.

Chapter 22

"Jason LOOK!" Cameron squealed as they pulled up to the plane.

"Yeah Buddy, that's the airplane we are taking to go to Port Charles." Jason watched the little boy in his rearview mirror as his eyes widened at the realization that they were flying on the Lear jet directly in front of them. Just then the door opened and the stairs to the plane started to lower.

"LOOK IT'S OPENING." Cameron's little legs started kicking and Jason and Elizabeth just laughed at his excitement.

"Cam, we've been on an airplane before. Don't you remember?" Elizabeth looked at her son then over at Jason who had just laced his fingers through hers and squeezed.

"Yes Mommy but we didn't go to the road to fly it. Member? We went to the big store and we had to sit and be real good for a long time and they put Pluto in the machine to take his picture of his insides and we had to go to that door and you beeped. I didn't but you did. Member? And we took our shoes off. Pee-yew" Cameron pinched his little nose and made a funny face.

"He rambles just like you." Jason said as he pulled her hand to his lips and lightly kissed her knuckles.

"Hey! I don't ramble." She feigned indignation and he laughed.

"Right." Was his only response because the co-pilot had opened her door.

"Miss Webber, here let me help you." The man in his fifties with a protruding belly and short stubby arms held out his hand, palm up to assist her out of the car.

She took his hand and looked back at Cameron then stepped out of the car. "Thank you."

Jason quickly got out of the car and opened the back door to remove Cameron from his car seat. Once the little boy was free he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him to the plane and started climbing the stairs. The pilot greeted him from the entrance to the plane and stepped aside to allow him to wander through the cabin.

"Jason, he can't get into any trouble up there can he?" She asked as she stepped up beside him at the opened trunk and attempted to take one of the suitcases but the co-pilot took it instead.

Jason looked up at the co-pilot then up at the plane, just realizing that Cameron had made it onto the plane. "I don't think so. George, Drew is up there right?"

"Yes Mr. Morgan. The cockpit is locked right now anyway. Your little boy is safe Miss Webber. Drew is up there." George then turned to Jason. "Why don't you two go ahead and get settled? I'll take care of all of this stuff and take the vehicle over to returns for you. The dinner you requested is set up and waiting for you."

"Thank you George. Are there any foreseen hold ups or troubles during flight?" Jason asked and Elizabeth turned back around to listen.

"No sir. Clear skies and we have already filed our flight plan so nothing should keep us here. We should be at cruising altitude within the next thirty minutes and arrive in Port Charles by ten thirty Port Charles time."

"Thank you George."

Jason took Elizabeth's hand and walked to the plane. Just before ascending the stairs he turned her to face him and wrapped his arms around her waist. Elizabeth splayed her hands across his cream colored dress shirt and looked up into his arctic blue eyes. Jason leaned in and gave a light brush of his lips to her. He felt her tongue glide across his lower lip and opened his mouth to respond. Once their kiss deepened he felt her skin respond to him with light goose bumps. He pulled her lower lip into his mouth and bit softly then pulled back.

"EWWWW" Cameron shouted from the top of the stairs drawing both of their attention to the little boy.

Jason pushed Elizabeth aside and ran up the stairs two at a time capturing Cameron in his hands once he reached the top. "Ewww" he mimicked as he tickled the little boy's tummy. Cameron squirmed and giggled.

Elizabeth made her way up the steps and into the plane where both her men stood in the middle of the cabin. She looked to her left and saw a table had been folded down from the wall of the plane and was set. Three plates with silver domes were on the table.

"Jason what's this?" Elizabeth asked as she pointed toward the table.

"Dinner" he replied dryly as if it were a ridiculous question, and it was to an extent.

"I can see that but…"

"I told you I would have dinner ready for us on the plane."

"But it's so fancy." She pointed at the stainless steel domes.

"No, those are just the dishes on the plane. It's just to keep the food warm." Jason walked over with Cameron still in his arms and lifted one of the domes to show a cheese burger and French fries. "See, nothing fancy."

"Fries! I'm hungry Mommy." Cameron added as he tried to reach down from Jason's arms to grab a French fry from the uncovered plate.

"Well then let's eat." Jason said as he lowered the boy down in front of the plate he had uncovered. He watched and laughed as the little boy grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them into his mouth.

"Not so fast young man. One at a time." Elizabeth admonished as she pulled his hand from the plate where he had just grabbed another fistful. She picked up the knife and fork from beside the plate where Cameron was and lifted the top of the bun, removed the lettuce, pickle and tomato then reset the bun and used the palm of her hand to smash it down. She then cut the hamburger in half then took one half and cut it in half again. She then put the lettuce, pickle and tomato back onto the other half and lifted the dome that Jason was sitting in front of and placed it on his plate.

"Alright, this works out well. Thanks Cam." Jason said pointing at his extra half hamburger.

Cameron looked at him and smiled with French fries squishing out of his mouth "Wor wlcowm"

"Cameron, you know better than to talk with your mouth full." Elizabeth admonished with a stern look, brows furrowed and a deep frown pursing her lips.

Cameron looked over at his mother and his eyes glistened as he chewed then swallowed. "Sorry Mommy. You're welcome Jason."

Jason sat back and watched for a moment, amazed at how his life was changing. He felt true happiness. This is what he wants. What he has always wanted. Sitting down for dinner with Elizabeth and Cameron was the most normal, natural occurrence. A family, a woman and a child to love. He didn't care that Cameron wasn't his. He would gladly 

take on the role of Daddy if Elizabeth allowed him to. His heart was bursting at the seams.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"You know, you don't have to drive me in to Crimson Point and pick me up every day." Elizabeth said as Jason opened the Escalade door for her and held his hand to assist her in stepping up and into the vehicle.

"I want to." He replied as he leaned in to give her a light peck on the lips.

"Jason, I need to look for a place to live and you have occupied my time for the past two days. Not to mention the week before we brought Cameron."

"I wish you would reconsider letting me put you in a safe house. I would feel better knowing you and Cameron were in a place that is protected." Jason started the SUV and pulled away from the museum.

"I can protect Cam and I just fine. I never had any troubles in Colorado. I have my mace," she held up her keys with a small container in a blue leather case attached to the key ring. "And I have my trusty artist's knife."

"Your what?" Jason looked over at her and balked in astonishment at the small little can of spiced water.

"My artist's knife. It's kind of like a scalpel that I use while painting." She responded putting her keys in her purse and not noticing the scowl forming on Jason's face.

Elizabeth started rambling and Jason attempted to listen but could not get past the part where she felt safe with a can of pepper spray and a small knife. If she would have said a meat cleaver, he would have thought she was at least thinking on a larger scale but she likened this knife to a scalpel. He knew what they looked like and they were nothing but glorified nail files.

He remembered what Sonny said:

"_Why don't you give her some pointers? Teach her how to defend herself. …any woman in our lives needs to know how to at least fight off an attacker so that they can run away."_

"…so if I can get Cam into that program, I won't have to worry about daycare. I'll just have to pay for the aftercare which is considerably less money. That would be a big"

"Elizabeth, I want to talk to you about something really important." He cut in realizing he had no idea what she was talking about anyway so what would his opinion matter. He had not heard anything for the past ten miles.

"Sure, what's up?" she said turning to fully face him and pulling her left leg up into the seat semi-Indian style.

"I know this is going to probably upset you and I am sorry ahead of time for even bringing it up but the other night when you mistook me for your rapist on the docks, I realized a few things."

Elizabeth started to talk and Jason quickly cut her off. "Let me finish, please. I need to tell you what I am thinking and why. Can you please let me do that?"

Elizabeth nodded her head and Jason took in a few deep breaths. "I want you to go with me to buy you a gun. Two guns actually and then I want you to file for a concealed weapons permit. I'll teach you how to use them myself but you'll need the concealed weapons license so you can carry one on you at all times." He looked over at her and could see the concern on her face. "When we were on the docks I chased you, caught you and basically overpowered you easily. Your kicking and struggling didn't even faze me. If you would have had a gun on you, you could have shot me and ran. That's always the answer, to run but you need to be able to stop your attacker from catching you."

Jason pulled in to a parking lot and Elizabeth audibly gasped as she realized it was a sporting goods store. "Jason, I won't carry a gun. I don't want to own one. I don't really like the idea of you having one around my little boy but you have always been so careful about it and well…I don't have the right to tell you what to do but on the same aspect, you can't make me carry a gun either. Besides, if I had a gun that night it would have been you that I shot. I doubt you want that."

He pulled into the parking space and put the gear into park. Placing his hand over hers on the center console he closed his eyes as he pondered his next move.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You know, you are the most original gift giver I have ever known. First you give me a hat with ears and my name on it. Then you give me a few hours of painting in the Italy themed area of Epcot. Let's see, then there's this charm." Elizabeth looked down and placed her hand over the small gold castle. "Now you give me that thing."

Following into the hotel room Jason pulled the bat from behind his back and gave it a few strong swats into his hand. "Well at least this one is practical."

"Yeah if I want to teach Cameron to be Babe Ruth or something."

"No, this is for your protection. And this." He held up a small canister.

"Jason, my pepper spray is brand new. I just got it before I moved to New York. Grams insisted because of all the muggings and stuff."

"This isn't pepper spray. It's tear gas. It has a more direct aim and won't harm the person using it. Morgan got a hold of Letecia's pepper spray one time and before we knew it, me, Morgan, Letecia and Carly were all screaming because the spray gets on everything. Tear gas only affects the area it is sprayed on to and evaporates immediately. It only attacks the target. And the spray stream distance on this can is around six feet so the guy won't even get close to you. You'd have time to run before he was able to see or breathe again. It's more practical if you aren't willing to carry a gun."

"And the bat?"

"Ahh, the bat is for at home. Here, I'll show you." He stretched out his arms for her to join him, bat held above his head.

"I think I can figure that one out. You just boink the guy over the head."

He walked up, lowering the bat and smiled at her. "You see, let me tell you why that won't work."

"Why not?"

"Because you are too small. You don't have good enough leverage. What you want to do is hit the guy in the knee caps, immobilizing him. Then drop the bat and run like hell."

"Because that's the goal to run." She repeated his words as affirmation to his statement.

"You got it. Run. Then call me and I'll kill the mothe…guy."

"Jason, such language." Elizabeth scoffed.

"I didn't say it. I caught my self. Now come here. I want to check your aim and swing. Stand like this." Jason stood holding the bat perpendicular to the floor with his feet firmly planted about a foot apart.

"Okay" Elizabeth came up and stood in front of him gripping the bat while he adjusted her hands then finally placed his above and below hers on the bat and tested it's leverage.

"Okay good grip. Put your hand…raise this one up. Good. Now take a swing." Jason stepped back out of the circumference of the swinging bat's ability.

Elizabeth took and drew back her arms with the bat in hands and took a wild high swing that completely twirled her body and she crashed into Jason.

"Okay, I think we need to work on that again." Jason laughed as he set his stance behind her and she followed suit. He positioned her hands on the bat and guided her through a few practice swings showing her where her aim should land then backed up and watched as she took the swing again.

This time her swing was perfect. He walked up behind her and wrapped her and the bat in his arms and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You have just officially taken out your first bad guy."

Elizabeth turned in his arms and dropped the bat onto the couch beside her. She moved both hands to cup his face and pulled him to hers. She gave him a deep hard kiss on his lips then leaned back into his arms that were wrapped around her waist.

"I love you." She said beaming brightly.

Jason was stunned silent for a moment. Once the words replayed in his mind he pulled her tighter to his body and leaned down placing kisses along her neck to her earlobe. "Show me."


	23. Chapter 23

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 23

"Morgan" Jason answered his phone trying to concentrate and focus to see his alarm clock on his beside table.

It was three am. He had been asleep for no more than an hour. After picking up Elizabeth from work, they went to get Cameron and then speak to the real estate agent about a house she found. They had a light dinner in her hotel suite, well his but she was the current resident. Their evening finished on the couch, as has been the norm for the past three days. This night, the only difference was his detour back to the house she chose. He wanted to see it at night. Wanted to know how easy it was to infiltrate. Therefore, he, Spinelli and Milo all met and played their version of War Games into the wee hours of the morning.

It was a quaint little three bedroom cottage on the outskirts of Port Charles, just off the highway leading in to Crimson Point. Even though it was in a remote location, the property itself was amenable for his men to secure it without too much intrusion. He would need to install a fence in the back yard so that Cameron could play without being out in the open as a sitting target. He would replace the windows and install a secured alarm system and a few surveillance cameras. There was a useless bathroom downstairs that could easily be changed into a panic room and still remain a half bath. All in all, Jason was satisfied with the choice or residence.

Elizabeth found the location herself through a website for rental properties. What she didn't know is that Spinelli had been assigned to scout locations and then post several options for her to choose from. Jason then called in a favor of his cousin Ned to use ELQ holdings to purchase these properties and set them up for rent to own. Once Elizabeth made her choice, ELQ could put the others on the market at fair value. However, the one Elizabeth chose, was a steal.

Jason knew the level of dishonesty but Elizabeth's price range put her in dangerous neighborhoods or in dumps and rundown houses that needed too much restoration to be safe for her and Cameron. In all, she was paying and he was not directly involved so he allowed Spinelli to arrange the subterfuge after the young hacker suggested it. A quick call to his cousin and all Jason had to do is wait to find out which one she picked.

After she asked him to drive by the place, he suggested she allow him to fence the yard and install the security as a house warming gift. Since it was a rent to own place, he knew her intention so it was a viable excuse. She complied quite happily, knowing that her little boy would be safe from wandering into the woods that lined the property. Besides, she already had guards for her and Cameron, what's a little technological equipment and a fence?

"Mr. Morgan? I apologize for waking you." The voice pleaded with the mobster.

"Who is this?" Jason barked out.

"This is Tommy Chun from the MetroCourt. I felt you should know that Mrs. Jacks overheard one of our night staff talking about the young woman and child staying in your suite. I believe she may be headed up there now. I tried to stop" Tommy Chun heard the definite sound of the click to end the call. He stared at the phone receiver a moment then shrugged and hung the handle back into its cradle.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Jason bypassed the elevator for the stairs. He could be up the eight flights of stairs way before the car reached the ground floor to transport him. His legs sprinted the stairs two at a time in the circular motion up the fire protective stairwell and forcefully yanked the door to the eighth floor of suites.

As soon as the hotel desk clerk mentioned that Carly knew that Elizabeth was staying there, he knew there would be trouble. Anytime Carly was made aware that he was at his suite, she would purposefully use her master key to enter and imbed herself into whatever dealings he was involved in at the time. The fact that it was a woman staying there at Jason's request would make matters worse.

She knew little about Elizabeth, only what Michael and Morgan had told her. She also knew that a little boy had been having daily play dates with Morgan for the past few days but usually they were at Sonny's or the little boy was already gone when she got home from work. The connection had not been made, Jason was sure of it because had Carly Roberts Quartermaine Corinthos Jacks made the connection, Jason would have been the first to hear the screeching tantrum. For Elizabeth's sake, he hoped he was in time to cut her off at the pass.

Turning the corner he cringed. He was too late. Surprisingly though, it was Elizabeth he heard yelling.

"Who are you? You better tell me who you are right now before I beat you to death then call the police."

Jason rounded the short wall of the suite to find Carly on the floor gasping for air, rolling around clutching at her chest and rubbing her eyes. Elizabeth stood over her with her keychain in one hand, still pointing the tear gas canister and holding the bat he gave her with the other hand. Cameron was in the corner, near the bedroom door crying and cowering behind a fake tropical plant. Jason bypassed the scene on the floor and scooped Cameron up in his arms, running his hand over the little boy's back attempting to sooth his fear.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing?" Jason asked.

"This woman just broke into our hotel room." Elizabeth panted, adrenaline pumping as she swayed back and forth, never letting her eyes leave the intruder writhing on the floor.

Jason smiled. That'll teach Carly. She finally let herself in to a situation she could not get out of. He looked at the scene and laughed. HE LAUGHED!

"I don't see what's so funny." Elizabeth finally spun around and Jason's heart skipped a beat as he noticed the clothes she had on, or rather lack of clothes. She had her hair messily atop her head and a short red tank top that just covered her breasts and black short shorts.

Finally starting to come out of the sensation of her throat closing on her, Carly sputtered and choked and sat up recognizing the male voice in the room. "J-Jason? What the fuck?"

"Carly, there's a little boy in the room. Watch your language." Jason admonished as he moved closer and pulled the bat from Elizabeth's hand. Elizabeth was so jumpy he feared she still had some fight in her.

"Jason, I can't…everything is blurry. Someone attacked me. Some"

"Uh…Carly, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Elizabeth." His head dipped and he looked upward at Elizabeth's astonished face from the name he had just mentioned. "Elizabeth, honey…this is my best friend Carly Jacks. She's the one that owns this place."

"Oh My GOD!" Elizabeth immediately dashed over to the mini bar and grabbed a towel and two bottles of water. "I am so sorry. I didn't…I didn't know and when I heard someone breaking in"

"I wasn't breaking in. I have my own key." Carly blindly jingled the set of a dozen keys in her hand as she waved them in the air. "You've got some fucking nerve you little"

"CARLY THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jason boomed.

"Yeah, those bad words and you gonna get a time out. Right Jason?" Cameron spoke up and looked for confirmation from the man he was fast getting to know and love.

"That's right Cam. Carly, you need to watch your language."

"But"

"You brought this on yourself Carly." Jason interrupted as he stopped Elizabeth in her hasty trek toward the blonde and handed off Cameron taking the towel and water at the same time. He pulled Carly to her feet and walked her over to the couch, sat next to her and handed her one bottle to drink from while he used the other to soak the towel and rub at her eyes. "I have told you time and time again that you should knock or call me before you just come barging in here."

"Well, what's she doing here?" Carly asked drinking from the water to soothe her throat. The tear gas took about twenty five minutes to completely clear from her system but after ten minutes vision started to improve and the tightness in the victim's chest and throat usually had subsided.

"SHE is here because I asked her to stay here." Jason responded adding more water to the towel and using his other hand to push her hair behind her ears. Elizabeth and Cameron remained silently in the corner of the room near the now closed door. "You are just lucky your staff alerted me. You may have ended up with some broken bones."

Elizabeth glanced at the bat leaned up against the dining table chair and then back at the blonde and grimaced at the thought of what she had already done and what she was gearing up to do before Jason ran in. She hugged Cameron running her fingers through his curls and both Webbers remained silent.

"Well why didn't you tell me someone was staying here? Especially HER! I mean…Jason…I'm your best friend. I should have known." Carly asked finally getting her vision fully restored and sizing up the petite brunette standing before her.

"I…well…I wasn't ready to share Elizabeth and Cameron with anyone yet." Jason admitted and he wasn't lying. He hadn't introduced her to or even remotely spent any time with anyone else since she came to town. Only in unavoidable circumstances did anyone other than Letecia even get an introduction with Elizabeth or Cameron. They stuck to out of the way places, quiet parks and the hotel suite.

"Share? WAIT! Did you say girlfriend?" Carly asked now skeptically peering at the little twit in front of her.

"Yes Carly, I did. And I expect you to behave when you are around her. No threats, no snide remarks and no nasty looks or crazy plans to do away with her. Got it?"

"Hmmff" Carly crossed her arms over her chest and grabbed the towel from Jason's hand that was against her cheek sliding down from her forehead. "What the hell was that stuff you sprayed in my face? You know Jason, I don't think it's me that's being nasty. I mean honestly, is that any way to treat the best friend of your new boyfriend."

"But you" Jason now cut Elizabeth off.

"Elizabeth sprayed you with tear gas just like you and Letecia carry. You are lucky it wasn't worse. You didn't announce yourself and she's here with her little boy. Tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing if someone came into your room."

"Well…I would" Carly nodded in agreement while looking down at the towel and then up at the little boy who looked to be Morgan's age. "Wait, is this Morgan's little friend he's been playing with? You're the girl from Disney World. Aren't you?"

"Yes, look I am soooo sorry for…well…I'm really sorry." Elizabeth sang the words. This was not how she wanted to meet Jason's best friend. Letecia had already warned her about the lengths Carly would go for Jason to the detriment of any woman who looked his way and many times the detriment of Jason himself.

"Carly, she apologized. Don't you have something to say?" Jason raised an eyebrow as the words came off his lips in warning.

"Like what. Thanks for spraying me blind in my own damn hotel." Carly huffed looking from Jason to Elizabeth.

"Uh oh, bad words" Cameron said as he lifted his little hand to cup his chin and watch to see what punishment Morgan's mommy was going to get. He knew it was her because Morgan had a picture of himself, his brother and his mother in his room and had told Cameron who the woman was.

"That's right Cam, bad words. I warned you Carly. Now you have to be put in time out."

"Time out?" Carly scoffed as Jason stood lifting her by the arm as he did. She looked at him then down at his hand gripping her arm.

"Yes time out. And the place for your time out is right…out…here." He opened the door and shoved her into the hallway as he spoke and then only heard a slight squeak as the door slammed in her face.

Jason locked the lock on the door and put the chain in place then turned and leaned up against the slab of wood and rubbed over his face with the palm of his hand.

"I don't think you should have done that." Elizabeth worried walking over and sitting on the couch with a yawning Cameron in her lap immediately nestling his head into his mother's chest.

"She'll be alright but she needs to calm down. Now isn't the time to get to know her. She'll be better tomorrow and I'll go see her. We'll plan to get together sometime soon when all the kids are around so she has to behave." Jason said as he walked over to her and sat down placing an arm around her over the back of the couch and leaning in to make faces at Cameron while rubbing his hand over hers on his back.

Cameron climbed from his mother's lap to Jason's and resumed his position. Jason's arms instinctively came down around the little boy and Elizabeth's heart clinched as she watched the loving display between the boy she loved with all of her heart and the man she was slowly giving it to.

"You keep saying she has to behave. You know, I don't understand. I mean…Letecia has told me some stories but I figured the other women had maybe done something to her or more specifically to hurt you that caused her to be mean and spiteful but I am getting the impression that's not the case."

"Well, you are right, that's not usually the case but you did just gas her and then threaten to break her knee caps. This time it's going to be a little different." Jason laughed and Cameron looked up at him and smiled.

"You young man need to get back to sleep." Jason said as he flicked the boy's nose with his index finger.

"Jason will you have a sleep over?" Cameron asked and Jason immediately shot a look to Elizabeth.

"I would love to Cam but I don't think it's a good idea tonight. Maybe you guys could have a sleep over at my place and Morgan can come." Jason responded after seeing the negative shake of Elizabeth's head. A pout was eminent on both male faces.

"When?" Cameron asked.

"We'll see Cam." Elizabeth replied as she lifted the boy from Jason's arms and carried him in to the bedroom.

"Elizabeth?" Jason stopped her just before she entered the room.

"Yes?" she turned with Cameron in her arms.

"Can…can I put him to bed?" he wanted that intimate moment with the little boy especially after he had asked Jason to stay.

"Ummm…yeah." She said as she tilted her head toward the room inviting him in to join her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth woke up in Jason's arms. A book Jason had given Cameron on Africa that he bought the little boy in Animal Kingdom after their safari ride was still clasped in his hand that was around her shoulder and Cameron was laying on his chest. Jason and Cameron were both asleep and a small blanket was draped over Cameron. Jason was still fully dressed, boots and all, and his head was lifted under a stack of pillows so that he could read the book.

This is how they were at four in the morning when Jason went in to help put Cam to bed. Cameron asked Jason to read to him and he lay on the bed then Cameron climbed up on top of him. Since there were very few pictures in the book, Cameron had rolled over chest to chest with Jason and that's when Elizabeth took root in the crook of Jason's arm and his side. Jason possessively had an arm over Cameron with his hand gently holding the boy's head and the other arm, with the book, around Elizabeth as he continued to read to both of them.

She gently pulled away and he tightened his grip as his eyes fluttered open. "Hi"

"Hey" she said.

"I…I guess I fell asleep."

"We all did."

"You first then Cam. It felt so good having you two with me I just…I just kept reading. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"I know you didn't want me to stay. I should have just left when you went to take Cameron to bed."

"You're wrong Jason. I WANTED you to stay. I just don't know what to tell Cameron. I mean…"

"Move in with me. Just until you move into your place. Cameron will have his own room and…and"

"I'll share yours?"

"Elizabeth, I love you. You know that right?"

"Yes. I love you too."

"If we love each other, why can't we tell Cameron that and explain to him that we want to be together."

"I don't think that's something you tell a four year old Jason. I mean jeez…I was thinking I would have that talk when he was like fourteen or something."

"Well if Michael is any indication, you may want to do it about three years earlier but…that's not what I was talking about. I mean tell him that we want to spend all of our time together. To have" a smile played his face "sleepovers every night until you move into your new house and then a lot more after that."

"How would we tell him?"

"You mean you're saying yes?"

"Well…it's only for a week. The realtor said we could have the keys next week. And I doubt your best friend wants me here anymore so…how do we tell Cam?"

Jason pulled her into his arm tighter and shifted so that he didn't wake the sleeping child. He leaned down and brushed his lips to Elizabeth's savoring the taste. Lingering for a moment and pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and nibbling slightly. Then he leaned back and brushed a stray curl away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "We tell him that we are having a sleepover at my house. Then we play it from the hip until he starts getting used to me being around. We go slow but together. In the beginning I always make sure I am on the couch sleeping when he wakes up each morning Sound good?"

"Only if you are in bed with me the rest of the time."

"THAT is a deal!"


	24. Chapter 24

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 24

**Single Mom's to Toddlers Dot Com Chat Room:**

Alikat: Hey Paint, where have you been? R U on lunchhour?

PaintingCam: Oh, well you know I moved. I have been pretty busy. I stopped by the other night but neither of you were in here and some woman was typing bout diaper rash. WTF? I told her this is the toddlers chat room for moms.

Surfingrams: Yeah but we're not all mom's of todlrs u know that.

Alikat: Yeah butt some of us are grandma's of tolddleres.

Alikat: Sorry ;-) I meant toddlers.

PaintingCam: Well, I was already in a pretty sour mood so the girle got it preety bad from me.

PaintingCam: opps I mean girl and pretty

Surfingrams: Are you two going to retype everything. It's a chat. I keep telling you. Correct spelling is optional. LOL

Alikat: Ohh don't piss off grams. Then I'll have to deal with her. LOL

PaintingCam: Sorry Surf. Wont happen agin. So how have you 2 been?

Alikat: I think the better question is how is that hot guy you were telling us abut? You know the rich hottie?

Surfingrams: Yeah, we're living vicariously thru u. Now spill the goods.

PaintingCam: He's dreamy. He asked Cam and I to move in with him.

Surfingrams: You know, I told you u slept with him too soon and now you are oving way too fast. What's wrong with you? You need to be careful. Hottie of not, you've got Cam to think about.

Alikat: I disagree with grams (and I know I'll regret this after she IM's me in like 2 minutes) You need to do what make s you happy. Life is short honey.

Surfingrams: What does Cam think about this man? What's his name? Jay?

PaintingCam: Oh he absolutely adores Jay. And jay loves him. Oh did I tell you this guy told me he loves me?

**Lurkinghopper has entered the chatroom**

Alikat: NO

Surfingrams: So I guess it is love at first sight. You pegged it Ali.

PaintingCam: Hey Lurk

Surfingrams: Hello Lurk, welcome

Alikat: Yep, sure did. Shoot. Nanny is back with Breianna. Gotta go girls…be back during naptime

PaintingCam: Bye Ali

Surfingrams: See ya Ali. IM me when you get on and I'll meet ya in here.

Alikat: K…seez ya

**Alikat has left the chatroom**

Surfingrams: Okay, now spill. He realy said he loves you? Do you believe him?

PaintingCam: YES. I do believe him and I know I am falling in love with him. Actually, I already love him. Grams I know its only ben a month and a few days but its real. I know it is. And you shoud see cam. He's most happy when jay is around. Actually, you know how Im always complaing about his behavior. Hes so good around jay and really hasn't been bad for me since I brought him here well since I met jay. Something is really happening. Cam asked if Jay could be his daddy.

Surfingrams: It's the male role. Boys respond to men. I think its something they just know. I am happy for you as long as this jay guy tteats you and cam right. You know, I know I have never met you but I worry about you two honey.

PaintingCam: I know. N he really does treat us right. My only worry is Rat.

Surfingrams: Rat? We haven't talked about him in years. Where did he come from?

PaintingCam: Well, he sort of lives in this town that I moved to and jay already knows him and hates him.

Surfingrams: Uhoh

PaintingCam: Yeah, that's what I said.

Surfingrams: Does he know you know Rat?

PaintingCam: Yes, I told him.

Surfingrams: well?

PaintingCam: He was kool. Jay is po'ed at him for treating me like crap but doesn't think anything bad of me about it.

Surfingrams: then why b worried?

PaintingCam: Because we haven't seen him yet. I don't' know how I'll feel hwen I see him. And I'm a little worried about how Jay will react.

Surfingrams: Well, I have always told you and Alikat just be yourself and be honest. That's what has worked for Bud and I and we've been married for 18 years now. You just have to be honest and talk and give each other space when needed and tell you love him everyday.

PaintingCam: You're the best Surf

Surfingrams: Yeah well, you need to tell Ali that. LOL 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Um Stonecold? The Jackal has something of a most odd nature to show you." Damien Spinelli held up his hand to his forehead in a fist as he looked across the desk at his mentor in the coffee shop office.

"What is it Spinelli? I don't have time for your…whatever it is. Elizabeth is going to be staying with Cam at our place so we need to get our work done and get to the penthouse to get things set up. Oh and I am having some stuff delivered for Cam so you need to plan to be there and help them get the spare room set up for him. You think you can manage that?" Jason asked as he signed off on the stack of documents in a pile below him.

"Of course Stonecold. The Grasshopper is most pleased to handle the delivery of the little dude's new furniture and toys. But I really think you should see this." Spinelli turned his trusty laptop in Jason's directions so that his Master could read the screen.

"Fine, what is it. What am I looking at? It looks like a bunch of bad spelling." Jason read through the wording on the screen trying to make heads or tails of the words.

"Well, it's interesting that you mention that. It's a chat room. Many times chatters forego their spellcheck in preference to their rapid conversation."

"I don't want to read some chat room crap."

"But it's what or should I say WHO is in this chat room that I think you would be interested in."

"I don't…" Jason was reading but still not getting why Spinelli wanted him to read it. "I don't get why you want me to see this."

"I think this is about you Stonecold. Look, the one person's moniker is PaintingCam and you call Cameron Cam because that's what Elizabeth calls him. Also, you said she is a painter. They are talking about this guy she met Jay. I think that's you. Jay – Jason and this PaintingCam said that she met him a month ago and is moving in with him and loves him."

Sitting up and pulling the laptop toward him, Jason got a smile blooming across his face. "What made you come here?"

"Oh well, you wanted me to make sure she was safe. Well, I felt it was my obligation to ensure her cyber safety as well as her technical safety with cameras and such. I was just checking out some of the websites she most frequents."

"And this is somewhere she likes to go to?"

"Yes, this is her most coveted spot on the world wide web."

"Who are these other people Surfingram and Alikat?"

"Well they are her most treasured cyberbuds it appears."

As Jason was reading, the chat became more in depth between who Spinelli thought to be Elizabeth and this Surf person. He started to feel a bit intrusive. "If it is Elizabeth, then I want you to promise me you won't go there and spy on her anymore."

"But Stone" he started to protest before being cut off.

"I SAID NOT ANY MORE" Jason yelled giving his protégé the famous deathly stare.

"The Jackal shall do as his Master wishes." And he closed his laptop.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jason kept thinking about the stuff he read on Spinelli's laptop the whole time he drove to pick up Cameron and Elizabeth. He was hoping it really was Elizabeth on there because if it was then it meant that Cameron had asked Elizabeth if he could be his Dad. Jason wanted that more than anything. He wanted Cameron to love him just like he was in love with the little boy and his mother.

"Jason?" Elizabeth said looking at him curiously after she had picked up Cameron's favorite new toy, a motorcycle, and handing it back to him in the back seat.

"Yes?" Jason responded reaching over and grabbing her hand in his and pulling it up to his lips for a light kiss on the knuckles.

"What are you thinking about? You have been lost in your thoughts the entire time we drove to get Cam from Sonny's and you still are. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is perfect. You know…I want to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"Would you mind if I started doing things with Cameron? You know like taking him to baseball games and doing…you know guy stuff with him?"

"Well…yeah. I guess so. Why?"

"I was just thinking that I would like to spend some time with him without you around so that he and I can build our own relationship. I mean, he's a part of you. I already love him just like I love you but I want him to learn to maybe love me. It's important to me that Cam likes me and accepts me. I am serious when I say I want to spend my life with you and that means both of you. I just want him to know that he's important to me too. Not just because I want to spend time with you."

"Well I think that would be just wonderful and I am sure Cameron would love it too. You know he really does already like you."

"I just want to make sure he knows how special he is to me."

Elizabeth sat back and sighed. Can this man become any more wonderful?


	25. Chapter 25

Author's Note: Okay, I promised these would come quicker after I went out of town. Okay, not so much the truth. However, I cannot and WILL NOT take blame for it. It is all Huma the Guma's fault. See, she wrote this little fic called 'Hack'. Well, I loved Hack. It is funny, refreshing, brings a different side of Jason, Spinelli, Elizabeth and personally I think portrays the best Sonny, most likeable Sonny ever written. Okay, so I had seen this fic around but never read it. Then Monday I happened upon it at and just thought I'd read the first chapter. Well, that was it. Now it's Thursday. I finally finished the story (well what is written so far ch's 1-50) last night during GH on Soapnet. I was hooked to that story. I barely got any work done, barely slept, read that story at every chance. So that's why Counting had been neglected. However, this chapter is pretty long. I hope you enjoy.

Counting to Ten

Chapter 25

"So other people allow you and your nephews to hang around their children, Morgan?"

"They are your nephews too, Ric. But I guess only when it's convenient for them to be."

Jason stood after tapping Cameron lightly on the behind to let him know that his shoe was completely tied and he could go back to the swings with Morgan. He had planned an afternoon with Cameron that would include going to the park, taking a ride on his motorcycle through the parking garage at Harborview Towers where Elizabeth finally agreed he would be safe, and then once Elizabeth finished work, they were going to all go to Kelly's for dinner.

"Thanks Jason" Cameron yelled over his shoulder as he tore his little legs into a mad dash to the only open swing before the little girl with pigtails and a yucky pink dress on beat him to it. She made it there just after him and a mini four year old mob war ensued.

"I GOT HERE FIRST"

"NO YOU DIDN'T"

"YES I DID"

"MOMMY"

"JASON"

Jason walked over to the swings, completely ignoring, actually with a slight wave of hand, dismissing Ric Lansing. Once there, he eyed the competition. A rather short, slightly round mother of three stood with one latched on to her exposed breast, another sleeping in the stroller she pushed and her third currently arguing with one very angry and stomping Cameron. Surveying the situation, Jason took on the fatherly role and decided this was as good a time as any to teach the little boy, hopefully HIS little boy one day, what it means to not only share but the all important and often times forgotten rule of 'Ladies First'.

"Cameron, come with me. You and I need to have a talk." Jason said reaching out his strong hand to clasp onto the fingers of the boy he had already fallen completely, hopelessly in love with.

"Jason I was here first. She's lying. She didn't get here as fast as I did." Cameron refused his outstretched hand and his lower lip jutted out as his arms crossed over his chest and his chin lowered.

Jason shot a quick look at the woman standing next to him, careful not to allow his eyes to intrude on her private moment of nurturing her newborn wrapped in a pink blanket. She winced in a silent plea. Plea of what, he wasn't sure. He was well known in this town. She could have very well been pleading for her and her children's life for all he knew. That was a look he regularly received, although completely unfairly warranted, from strangers in this town. Then again, she could be pleading for a gentleman's acquiescence to a woman's desire. Well, okay maybe more like a little boy giving up and letting a little girl swing. Of course, more likely than not, it was a simple look of, I have no idea who got to the swing first because I have two other children to attend to and please help me out of this jam without my having to walk away with a crying little girl or worse three crying little girls.

Jason decided he would rather believe the woman to be pleading the latter so now was the time to have the boys versus girls talk. He had done it before. First with Michael and then just a year ago with Morgan. He was well versed. It was the same speech, almost to the word, that one Michael "Sonny" Corinthos had given him not too long after he woke up from his accident.

"Morgan, you keep swinging. I have my eye on you and Max is right behind you if you need anything. Cameron and I are going over to that bench. Once we are done talking we'll all go get an ice cream. Deal?"

"Okay Uncle Jason. MAX come push. And push her too. K?" Morgan said as he pumped his legs back and forth and smiled at the little pigtailed girl in the pretty pink dress. She was still holding on to one of the swing chains until her mother said it was okay and that she was first.

Morgan didn't know and actually thought maybe Cameron had gotten there first but girls always go first because that's what Uncle Jason said. And Uncle Jason is ALWAYS right. It's 'just a fact of life' is what he said. We boys have to be nice to girls so that they will be nice to us someday. Why boys want that, Morgan Corinthos didn't know but Daddy, Uncle Jason, Max, Milo, Jax and a lot of other boys that were bigger did. Even Michael was starting to want girls to be nice to him. The only girls Morgan wanted to be nice to him were his Mommy, Letecia, Grandma Bobbie, Lulu, Alexis – only because she is Christina and Molly's mom and Christina is his sister and Molly is his cousin – and now Kate and Elizabeth because Daddy and Jason like them. Other girls can go pack sand in the sand box for all he cares.

"Max will push you too." Morgan said to the little girl. Packing sand they could definitely do but he knew to be nice to them because Uncle Jason said so.

The little girl and her mother looked up at the well dressed burly hunk of a man walking up to the swings with a huge cheesy grin on his face. Morgan was his favorite. He couldn't help it, it was just a fact. Anything Morgan asked for, Max did. He would even crawl on the ground in his best Italian suit if Morgan asked. And many times at the park, Morgan would ask just that so they could play basic training around the monkey bars with his friends. "Ma'am, do you mind?" Max said bending down to help the little girl onto the swing. "You look like you have your hands full. I'll be glad to help your daughter on the swing and then push her and Morgan."

The woman, despite looking a bit tired, was naturally beautiful with long blonde hair, roots protruding at least a half an inch which Max and Jason both likened to the approximate time it took to grow out with the arrival of the new bundle in her arms. Her hair was pulled back into a simple pony tail. No makeup clouded her face and her green eyes pierced and sparkled at Max and Jason as her skepticism turned into a deep smile of thankfulness. She had some weight from the pregnancy on her but Max could tell it wouldn't stay long. Her muscles in her arms and legs showed that she was in pretty good shape. Three kids in four years easily take its toll. Especially since two of the three years were spent pregnant. Her body looked great compared to many young mothers.

"MAX" Jason yelled as he noticed the bodyguard staring at the woman's exposed breast a little too long.

"Uh...yes boss?" Max immediately shook his head and then lowered his gaze down to the little girl raising her arms to be lifted onto the swing. He turned purple from embarrassment. He did not mean to stare at the woman's breast but he was in deep thought on the woman's other features. His gaze just happened to stay there.

"Cam and I will be over here." Jason said quietly as he pointed to the park bench. He could see that Max was mortified over his actions so admonishing him would do no good.

Max looked back at the woman who now wore her own rosy cheeks. He was bent at the waist but was, as of yet, still not touching the little girl. "Ma'am? Do you mind?"

"OH, no that would be wonderful. I am sure Becky would love for you to push her. Thank you so much." The woman said pulling herself out of her own thoughts of the handsome man staring at her breasts. For some reason, she was slightly embarrassed for him but not herself. He actually looked like he was lost in thought, not drooling over her chest.

Ric was watching the whole scenario play out. He was actually in the park to make moves on the woman with the three small children. She would be an easy hit. Her husband had died in the war in Iraq when she was just four months pregnant with their third child. Ric was made aware because many times, the military dispatch a police officer to aid in notifying the family. Ric had done it himself and figured this would be a woman easily acceptable of his 'no strings, late night booty call'. She certainly wasn't someone he wanted to wine and dine. Sure, he would show the occasional interest in something other than her bed but for the most part, with three kids, SHE would be the one unable to go out very often. It was a perfect set up. He had laid the ground work and now she'd had the baby a few weeks ago. Except now, that stupid Neanderthal, Max, was ogling her and insinuating himself into her good graces. This would not do at all.

"Hey Morgan" Ric said with his sickly sweet voice. "Uncle Ric didn't think he'd get to see you today. How have you been?"

Morgan Corinthos was shy, loving, and sensitive and on rare occasions talkative but one thing was for sure, there were two people in this town that he didn't like, Uncle Ric and cousin Lucky Spencer. Talking was not an option because Uncle Jason said 'if you can't be nice, don't talk'. It was something Uncle Jason made daily practice of and so did Morgan.

Max moved from lifting the little girl onto the swing and pushed Morgan with one hand while pushing the little girl, Becky, with the other. All the while eying with deep skepticism, the reason for Lansing to come talk to Morgan. Morgan on the same aspect, continued to pump his legs and stare at the man who was his Daddy's younger brother and Molly's daddy without letting his lips so much as part away from each other.

"Oh, Mr. Lansing. You are this little boy's uncle? I thought…" the mother turned around to see the blonde man with the incredible physique sit down with the curly headed, currently deeply pouting, little boy.

Her brows drew together when she realized that if they were both this boys' uncle, they sure didn't look a thing alike. Maybe opposite sides of the family, she reasoned and looked back up, glancing at Max before turning her attention to Ric. Her brows furrowed as the scowl Max was giving Ric further confused her. Ric had been very supportive of her since he came with the Marine Chaplain to notify her that her husband had died not six weeks after he arrived in Iraq. He had come by occasionally, later in the evening, to check on her. Sometimes he would bring a nice dessert or a non alcoholic drink for them to share. He always seemed to be so busy during the day so to take his personal time to check on her was rather flattering.

"I am his uncle. Jason is not. He's Morgan's Godfather." Ric explained as he sauntered up beside the woman and stared directly at her chest.

Max fumed quietly as he watched the snake of a man, slither around the young mother of three. Whatever he was doing, there was obviously a motive and that didn't sit well with Max. Hell, the fact that Ric even remotely acknowledged his nephew was a sure sign that Ric Lansing was up to no good and since he knew this woman, she was obviously the target of his dastardly endeavor. Naturally, Max would have to wait until he wasn't around the kids to find out what, when and why.

Secretly, Max enjoyed throwing monkey wrenches into Ric's plans whenever he came across them. He'd succeeded many times over the past few years. This will be another fun adventure ending up with Ric wearing the egg Max threw at his face. Listening carefully to obtain clues to his new personal-time mystery adventure, he smiled at that knowledge.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jason watched as Ric approached Morgan and then sauntered up to the young mother but Max was intently watching. Jason laughed knowing that look on his employee's face. Max enjoyed tearing into Ric and thwarting any diabolical plans he may have. Knowing his nephew and the woman were safe from Ric's wrath, Jason turned his attention to the little boy beside him.

"Cameron, I want to talk to you about something." Jason started with an even tone.

"Jason, I DID get to the swings first. She's just a dumb girl anyway." The pouting little boy interjected.

"First, girls aren't dumb. Your Mommy's a girl. You don't think she's dumb do you?" He watched the little boy shake his head 'no' and continued on with his talk. "Girls are just different. But us boys, we have to treat them different too. One day we will be thankful that we did because we'll want them to be nice to us."

"Nuh-uh" Cameron declared.

"Well, I know you don't think so now but trust me…boys have to become men and men always have to show respect to girls. Even when we don't want to, like now for instance. We should always let a girl go first. Whether it's to play on the swing, in line at school or well…anywhere." He watched as the little boys eyes widened. "Yes, girls always get to go first. That's the rule. Also, we should always protect girls. If someone is mean to them, we should help them. If they are hurt we should take care of them and if they are sad, we should try to cheer them up any way we can."

Knowing the next part of the lecture was somewhat difficult to explain to a child, he used the same tone and words he used with Morgan. "If a girl says no, then we should respect her wishes. If she doesn't want to do something, then we do what she wants to do. No means no. That's a very important rule."

"But why?" Cameron asked as he hung on Jason's every word.

"Because that's what makes us become men. Good men. Only bad men don't follow the rules when it comes to girls and bad men always get into real bad trouble when they don't follow the rules."

"Do you follow the rules with Mommy?"

"Yes I do. Especially with your Mommy because she is so very important to me. I would never want to make her sad or see her hurt. If she says no, then no it is. I would always let her go first in line, protect her from mean people and take care of her if she was hurt. Just like I would do for you because you are important to me too."

"I am?"

"Of course you are." Jason pulled the little boy into his lap. "You and your Mommy are very, very important to me. I will always make sure that you are happy and protected. But you have to do something for me too."

"What?" Cameron asked, squirming in Jason's lap to turn and get on his knees. He then put his little arms around Jason's neck and put his head down on Jason's chest.

"You have to promise me that you will become a good man instead of a bad man and that means always treating girls with respect. Always letting them go first, always protecting them and always helping them if they are hurt or sad or are in trouble. Can you do that?"

"I guess so but why?" Cameron murmured into Jason's neck.

Jason smiled. This was almost exactly how it went with Michael but Morgan was agreeable without question. "Because one day, that same girl will do the same thing for you. She'll do whatever makes you happy, she'll protect you and keep you safe and help you if you are hurt or in trouble. She'll cook for you and smile at you and ride on your motorcycle and even watch ballgames with you. The biggest thing she'll do that you'll want is let you hang around her. THAT is the thing you'll want most and will make you the most happy."

"Just like Mommy does with you." Cameron agreed.

"Exactly, just like your Mommy, does with me. She let's me hang around you and her and that makes me the happiest man alive."

"Me too." Cameron said as he lifted his head and looked straight into Jason's eyes. "I'm happy Mommy lets you hang around us too."

Satisfied with his response and knowing that there wasn't much more to say until he was older, Jason patted him on the rump and then gave him a big hug. "I promise you that if you follow the rules about girls, one day you'll thank me for telling them to you. Will you follow the rules?"

"Yes. But I did get to the swing first but I guess the rule is she gets to go first anyway, huh."

"Yes it is but you know, that little boy on the other side of her just got down so if you run real fast, you'll get to swing too. Then we'll go get some ice cream. Deal?"

"You always make deals." Cameron replied as he squirmed down from Jason's lap and ran to the swing. Max moved over and lifted the little boy onto the swing and then moved seamlessly between the three children pushing them.

Jason smiled as he slowly lifted himself off of the bench and started to walk toward the woman to see what Ric was up to. Michael, carrying his school backpack with Milo following behind, walked up the path toward the group.

"Hey, Uncle Jase. Milo said you guys were here so I thought I would come by before going home and studying for my finals."

"Hey Michael. You have finals already? It seems like Spring Break was just last week."

"It was over a month ago Uncle Jason. You know that because that's when we went to Disney World."

"Oh yeah." Jason smiled and lost himself in his thoughts of meeting and spending time with Elizabeth and Cameron in the theme park.

"Jeez Uncle Jason. You are so…lost over Elizabeth."

"Lost?" Jason stopped his walk and looked over at his red-haired nephew.

"Yes, lost as in whipped, wrapped, useless, dweeby, dorky, pansy and dopey. You're like the seven dwarfs of love. You're head over heels and totally lost to us men now. You are all about Elizabeth."

Jason smiled. The boy was right. He WAS lost.

Just then he could hear heels clicking rapidly on the path behind the trees. "JASON! CAMERON! JASON WHERE ARE YOU?"

Her voice sounded panicked and she still had another hour to be at the museum so something must have been wrong. He turned toward the path where she was running from and reached behind him, placing his hand on his well used weapon and started running toward the sound of her voice. She rounded the corner and once she saw him, launched herself up into his arms. Tears were steadily streaming down her face.

Jason looked behind her and Johnny was running up behind her with a bewildered look.

"Hey, hey, hey what's wrong?" He asked as he held her tight, her feet dangling a foot off the ground and her face buried in his neck. He smoothed his hand over her flowing curls and held her tight against him with one arm while trying to read the look on Johnny's face.

"I don't know Jason. I was waiting in the car outside the museum, where I normally am and she came running out, quickly locked the door and jumped into the car. All she said was 'Find Jason' then she started crying." Johnny gave as much detail as he knew.

"Was anyone in the museum with her?" Jason asked as he kissed her temple and continued rubbing her hair and her back.

"No, the place was empty." Johnny replied as he dropped back in line with Milo to survey the surroundings that all of their charges and their boss were standing in. His eyes immediately fixed on Ric Lansing and he scowled while giving a questioning glance to Max. Max rolled his eyes as he continued pushing the three toddlers on the swings. Ric was deep in discussion with the woman and Max would occasionally stop, look up at the woman then roll his eyes again. Apparently Ric was working the woman good.

"Hey Elizabeth, what's the matter honey? Did someone call you or scare you or…why are you crying?" Jason noticed Cameron watching and he winked at the little boy to let him know everything was okay.

Cameron saw his mother crying and stopped pumping his legs and told Max to stop pushing. He tried to jump off the swing and Max caught him with ease and lowered him to the ground. Cameron ran up to Jason and Elizabeth and wrapped his arms around their legs. "Why are you crying mommy? Did you tell a bad man no and he didn't follow the rule?"

Elizabeth lifted her head, puzzled by her son's question. She looked at Jason but kept crying. "My grams..." she started but then saw Ric.

Elizabeth's face turned ghostly white and she started to tremble but her crying stopped and a cold hard look covered her face. Jason turned to see what she was looking at and as soon as he noticed Ric, his blood started to boil. His hands clinched into tight fists and he turned the three of them so that neither the boy nor Elizabeth was in Ric's view. Jason zeroed in on Johnny and then jerked his head toward Lansing then gave a quick nod. Johnny knew this to mean Jason wanted the guy gone so Johnny headed purposely toward the loser DA.

Michael who was in between all of the groups of people stopped Johnny and both men watched as Max was currently stalking over, grabbing Ric by the lapels and physically moving him away from the woman holding the baby. He was speaking rather harshly to Ric but no one could hear him. They could only see the clinched jaw and Max's lips moving. The woman was flushed red and backing up with her stroller.

Whatever it was that happened, Max didn't like it and was in the middle of telling Ric, rather forcefully, to leave. Unfortunately, in doing so, it sent the jerk heading straight for Jason, Elizabeth and Cameron. Instantly he recognized Elizabeth once he got closer and snidely lowered one hand into his suit pants pocket and walked up to the three.

Before Johnny could intercept, Ric spoke, "Well well well. What do we have here? What are you doing here Elizabeth? And what are you doing with this criminal?"

Jason slowly lowered Elizabeth to the ground and pushed her and Cameron behind him. "Leave Ric." Jason said in a quiet but lethal tone.

"Oh but Jason, Elizabeth and I are old friends." He looked down at the little boy peeking out from behind Jason's legs. "Is this little Casey? My how he's grown. Actually Jason, we're VERY close friends. Aren't we Elizabeth? She's actually a slut I bedded in Col" Jason's fist connected with Ric's jaw before Ric could finish his sentence. Johnny immediately grabbed the DA and drug him out of the park.

"I'll have you arrested for assault on an officer of the court Jason Morgan. I hope she's worth it. Leftovers. My leftovers." Ric laughed as he rubbed his chin and tried to jerk his arm from Johnny's grasp.

Jason took a step forward but cringed when he felt Elizabeth's hand on his arm stop him. He turned around to face Elizabeth and Cameron.

Oddly, it was the woman with the small child that spoke up first. "I'll be glad to testify in your behalf. That jerk had it coming. I thought he was nice but he was just using me. You should have seen the way he was leering at me while I was feeding my newborn. What a pig! And I heard what he called you ma'am. And right in front of your little boy. No judge in his right mind would fault your husband for punching him."

"He's not my husband. He's my boyfriend. And Ric. He's just some jerk I met a long time ago. How do you know him?" Elizabeth asked. She was so confused about everything that she just started talking to anyone who would talk to her.

"Well, he was with the Marine Chaplain when they came to tell me my husband had been killed in Iraq." The young mother started as the rest of the group started moving. Milo went to push the two remaining children on the swings; Johnny was off making sure DA Lansing left and Michael and Max, now pushing the stroller, moved closer to Jason, Elizabeth, Cameron and the woman.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss." Elizabeth replied pulling her hand to her heart in a known gesture of sympathy. Jason moved in behind her and picked up Cameron into his arms then wrapped his free arm around Elizabeth's neck and pulled her back into his side.

"Thank you. That was seven months ago and Ric has been stopping by my house ever since. He always seemed so nice and was meeting me at the park today to spend the afternoon with us. I don't really get the impression now that THAT was what he really wanted to do."

"Yeah, the jerk made a…lewd comment to her. I wanted to bust his fu…face open." Max responded, checking his words because Michael and Cameron were there.

"Well, I can tell you from experience, he's not a very nice person. He tricks you into thinking he's some wonderful fairly tale prince but trust me, he's no Prince Charming."

"Nope, Jason's Prince Charming and my Mommy is Cinderella" Cameron announced from Jason's arms.

"No, silly! Your Mommy is Sleeping Beauty, remember?" Michael said as he hefted the little boy from Jason's arms and started walking back over toward the swings.

The group of adults laughed and Max turned to the woman. "Could I walk you home ma'am? I don't want that bastard coming anywhere near you. You'd be smart to not allow him to visit you anymore either. Nothing good comes from Ric Lansing." Max then looked up at Jason. "Would that be okay Jason? I mean, Milo's here and so is Johnny."

"That's fine Max, as long as this lady doesn't mind. Why don't you take the rest of the day off. Take her and her kids for some ice cream or something. I'll get Morgan and Michael home or send them with Milo or Johnny." Jason responded.

"What exactly did Ric say to you?" Elizabeth's curiosity got the best of her so she asked.

The woman blushed and looked over at Max and then at Jason. She then leaned in and whispered into Elizabeth's ear causing Elizabeth to gasp loudly. "That Rat! I can NOT believe that man would stoop so low. Well, actually I can. I guess it's better that you found out now."

"Yeah, and I was actually starting to feel like I could actually maybe date another man. Now I don't know if I ever want to again." The woman said as she laid her small child down into the stroller next to her sleeping two year old. She had long ago tucked her nurturing breast back into her top after Ric's lewd comment.

"Well, I certainly understand. I met him in Colorado and unfortunately didn't find out what a jerk he was until it was too late."

Max shot her a look then looked up at Jason. Jason was fuming at the mention of Ric's name from Elizabeth's lips so Max knew whatever transpired was not going to bode well for Ric in the end. It also explained the risky punch instead of Jason's usual stoic, tight lipped stance.

Johnny came back into the playground area of the park and immediately walked up to Jason. "I don't think you need to worry Jason. I had a chat with Lansing. He won't be pressing charges."

"Good, I don't need that with the charges" Jason stopped and looked over at the woman.

"It's okay. I know who you are. Actually, I believe you are innocent. Actually, I know you are."

"Oh yeah?" Jason asked.

"Yep, Ric likes to talk about himself. A lot. Your case is a big one for him and the PCPD. He was trying to impress me. Well, I guess he actually did a little. He said something about not really having evidence but because it was you, he was able to convince the judge for a warrant. He's hoping to find something or get a jury that wants you in jail as much as he does. Actually," she looked down with guilt on her face. "I never told Ric this but your company gave all three of my children college scholarships once you found out that my husband had died."

"You're Jack Burton's wife? Jack was one of our best men down at the ware house. Max you remember him. He was the Port Supervisor over at pier 27. Blonde hair, my build, a little shorter though. He left because he got called into active duty. He was a reservist. He's worked for us for about nine or ten years." Jason looked back from Max to the woman. "You are still getting his paychecks aren't you? I know Sonny and I agreed to continue your benefits, give scholarships and continue his pay for three years once we found out he had died."

"Yes, I am. It's really very generous of you. I wrote you a letter. I actually have some skills, office skills. I was hoping I would be able to work for you once I am off of maternity leave. I would rather not take charity. I would feel better if I was working for that paycheck myself. Besides, the government pays us survivor benefits and the kids receive social security due to Jack's death. You all are being way too generous. I would like to earn the money."

"I didn't see any letter. Then again, I probably wouldn't. Our secretary at the coffee warehouse would have given it to Sonny and knowing him, he just tossed it in the trash. He's old school. Look, you come by anytime. I'll be glad to see if there is a spot for you at Corinthos Morgan Coffee Imports. I'll make one if there's not. I understand wanting to earn your keep. Max, make sure…" he searched his brain for her name. "Shirley? Sherry? No Shiree, yeah, Shiree. Max, make sure Shiree and her kids get home safely."

"No problem boss. Ma'am." Max jutted out his elbow for her to take and latched on to the stroller and headed over to the swings.

The mother of three latched on to his arm and turned back, "Nice meeting you. And thank you for everything."

Elizabeth and Jason watched them stroll away and Elizabeth actually had a bit of a smile on her face but when she looked up at Jason she remember why she was there. Tears started forming and Jason pulled her into his chest.

"Now, do you want to tell me what's going on with you?"

"Oh, I got a call from Steven. My Grams fell this morning and broke her hip. She won't be able to come and I can't go there to help her because of my new job and there's no one there to help her. I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless and my Grams has always been there for me. Now when she really needs me, I can't be there for her."

"Well, what if we hire a private nurse to take care of her." Jason reasoned, always seeking the simple, direct solution to a problem.

"I can't afford that and Grams is a nurse herself. I don't know if she would go for something like that anyway."

"I didn't ask if you could afford it. I can and I want to help. Call her. Call your brother. I'll take care of anything they need. OR maybe we could have her transported here so you could be close to her." He added that last part hoping on all hope that she would say no.

"No, Grams wouldn't do that and there's no way she could recover at that cottage I rented. I just wish I could be there for her."

"Well, would you like to fly home tonight to check on her? We could be back tomorrow morning." Jason asked, pulling her back and wiping the stray tears from her eyes.

"No but do you think we could go there this weekend? Like Sunday and Monday. She should be out of the hospital by then and back at home. The museum is closed on Monday's and Mr. Rigby said he would work Sunday's so I would have two days off in a row."

"We'll fly out Saturday night as soon as you are off work. Maybe your brother, Cameron and I can go catch a Rockies game while we're there. Hey, I have been meaning to ask you. Morgan has signed up for T-ball. Would you mind if I signed up Cameron? Sonny and I sponsor the team Morgan plays on and I would love for Cam to be on the team too."

"Are they even old enough to play baseball? I mean what if he gets hit by a ball or something?"

"Elizabeth, he's a boy. You can't baby him. He'll grow up a wuss. Besides, they hit the ball off of a stationary stand. No one is throwing a ball at them necessarily. It will toughen him up, teach him teamwork and hand-eye coordination. Also, it will give me more reasons to spend time with him."

"You know, when you asked to spend time with him, I figured you just wanted to hang out with him an hour or two here or there but you are serious. You have spent a lot of time with him in the past two days. I mean…are you for real?"

"Whaaat? What do you mean am I for real? I am right here Elizabeth." Jason took her hand and beat on his chest with it. Jason sometimes confused questions and took them literally. This was obviously one of those times.

"I know you are real I just meant…you are just so wonderful. I am waiting for the other shoe to drop." She laughed.

"What shoe?" Jason looked down at their feet.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Grabbing his hand she pulled him over to the swing set where the crowd of bodyguards, children and the widow stood.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"The woman's name is Elizabeth Webber. She's from Denver Colorado. Um…she's twenty eight or right around there and her little boy would be" he counted on his fingers "five, no four. Casey or something like that. Find out what they are doing here and why they were with Morgan."

"No problem Ric. I'll get right on it. Oh, and hey, if it's the woman you described. I met her. Jason picked her up from the airport. He said they didn't know each other but that he was doing a favor for Emily and picking her up from the airport."

"She knows Emily?"

"No, she's going to work for the Museum in Crimson Point. You know the one Mr. and Mrs. Rigby own? She's going to be the one who runs the place from now on since Mrs. Rigby is so sick."

"Really, out where the Zacharra's live? Well, that could prove interesting. I'll have to call my father."

"What will Trevor want with the girl?"

"Oh, bargaining power."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is he asleep?" Elizabeth asked as she removed her robe to show a LOT of skin and very little purple silk and lace.

"Yep, took three books but he's actually snoring." Jason replied as he crawled across the bed and grabbed for Elizabeth. She pulled back and he had to catch himself before he went face first on the floor.

"He does that when he's really tired." She replied, slipping from his grasp, smiling coyly. Playing hard to get was fun with Jason. He was always so eager.

"Well, we had a fun day. Max, Morgan, Cameron and I spent a lot of time at the park and the kids and I built a big guitar out of K-Nex this morning. Those things are cool." Jason climbed off the bed and stalked toward his prey. One more step and Elizabeth would be trapped in the vanity area of the master bathroom.

"I don't remember Cameron having K-Nex toys." She said as she slid down the wall out of the vanity area before Jason trapped her.

"I bought them for him with the furniture and other stuff I had delivered the other day when you said you would stay here until your house was done." Jason turned and picked up the pace. Elizabeth started running for the door and opened it running into the hallway. Jason chased her and because his strides were one to her two caught her easily.

Just then Spinelli bounded up the stairs with his ear bud in, bouncing his head to his music on his Ipod holding a bag of Bar-B-Que chips and a bottle of orange soda. "Whoa" the hacker said as his master and his master's new vivacious beauty came bounding into him.

Jason grabbed Elizabeth up by her waist and turned carrying her back into the room. Just before closing the door he turned to a stunned Spinelli standing in front of his door. "Go to bed!" and he shut the door in his young protégé's face.

"Jason, that wasn't nice. I like your roommate Spinelli." Elizabeth admonished.

"Well, I like you more." He responded as his lips crashed to hers while they crashed to the bed. Immediately his hands were all over her as if she was going to disappear soon.

"Jason, I like you too." She replied lifting her head so that her lover could nuzzle her neck.

"Like?" he lifted completely up and looked down at her.

"Love" she replied and he quickly smiled and lowered himself back down to her.

"I love you too. Let me show you how much." And he did.


	26. Chapter 26

Counting to Ten

A/N: I need to clarify this. Surfingrams is NOT, I repeat NOT a grandmother. I really don't know her but had asked her permission to use her moniker in the chat scene of the story. She was gracious enough to say yes so I feel I did her an injustice by strapping grandchildren to her back. For that I apologize.

Also, only one person made note of the fact that I used the names Jack Burton (Steve Burton, actor who plays Jason on GH's real name) and then named his wife Shiree which is Steve Burton's real life wife's name. Hopefully there aren't any lawyers looking to sue me on their behalf over that. LOL. Actually I rather expected some backlash that I killed off the handsome man. Anyhoo…just thought I'd mention it.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I rather liked it a lot. And thanks to all of your wonderful comments. Again, Surf…I am so sorry. 

Counting to Ten

Chapter 26

**A Month Later…….**

"Sonny, you are way overdressed for this." Jason said shaking his head and laughing.

"It's my son's first T-ball game. I wanted to look nice." Sonny replied stroking his hand down his three hundred dollar maroon silk tie and straightening his black Italian suit sleeves.

"I already told him Jason. He wouldn't listen." Max rolled his eyes as he plopped down on the bench in tan cargo shorts and a navy blue t-shirt with some sort of pattern print on it that Jason could not make out.

"I would think YOU of all people would be the last person to tell me how to dress for a four year olds baseball game. Hell, you are wearing those damn tired old motorcycle boots." Sonny retorted giving his enforcer the once over and sighing. "Do you even own any other shoes?"

"Yes, I do. They are those horrible Italian loafers you insisted I had to have with the suit

I own. Honestly, I don't see the need for a bunch of clothes. Four pair of jeans, six t-shirts, one suit and two pair of shoes. Simple. Just the way I like it." Turning his attention away from his partner and their guard, he gave a quick scan of the ballpark. "Max, did you have guards stationed around the perimeter of the park like I asked?"

"Yes Jason. Every time we are here whether it's for practice or games, we have the extra guards, the scanners and the dogs. See that old man over there with the beagle? He's a trained bomb and explosive sniffer. The dog that is. Then over there…" Max pointed and Sonny and Jason both followed his arm and index finger. "That woman with the stroller that looks pregnant. Well, she's not. At least as far as I know, and the stroller doesn't have a baby in it, it has a scanner that will detect firearms. We'll know of anyone carrying weapons. And of course you and I are in the dug out with the boys and Becky so everything is safe man."

"Good. Hey how is that going by the way? You and Jack Burton's wife, Shiree." Jason asked looking over at Max who at the mention of her name bloomed a huge smile and reddening cheeks.

"She's not his wife anymore Jason. The man's dead. Would you PLEASE stop calling her his wife? It makes me sound like I'm breaking up their marriage or something."

"Sorry man. Just habit I guess. You know, she's really working out well at the warehouse. Bernie says she's the best assistant he ever had." Jason replied changing the subject.

"I still say we should buy her a house. She needs a bigger place. She's got three damn kids. She won't take a paycheck if she receives Jack's pay for the next three years so let's buy her a house then stop the payment on Jack and start her getting her own paycheck. What do you say Jason?" Sonny asked. Ever since he found out about his favorite worker in his legitimate business being called to active duty, he had a bad feeling. He even tried to talk Jack into letting him pull some illegal strings to get him off the list but the man was proud, stubborn and didn't want anything to do with the illegal side of Corinthos-Morgan. When he heard the man had been killed, it was all Jason could do to keep him from dumping half their fortune on the widow and her kids.

"Well, we could always give her Elizabeth's house boss. Jason's never going to let her move in there anyway." Max spoke up. He had been dating the woman for three weeks and agreed that Shiree and her kids needed a larger place.

"That's not it. It just isn't ready. I don't want Elizabeth and Cameron living in a house with wallboards that could potentially mold and a roof that leaks." Jason defended himself and his actions.

Sonny smiled and pulled his hand to curl under his chin. "Jason, you know good and well that roof didn't leak until you had Milo climb up there and put a hole in it. He told me so don't look at me like that. You are stalling man. Just tell the woman you want her to live with you and be done with it. Man up and tell her she's staying right where she is."

"Look, I don't want to do that. We're good. I don't want to give her any reason to get mad at me. I" he trailed off when he looked up to see both pair of eyes intently watching him. "I need to go get the camera. I promised Elizabeth I would film the game for her since she can't be here. Also, we need to make the line up before all the kids arrive. Is the coach here yet?"

"Max, I think you'll be able to tell your new sweetie that Corinthos-Morgan has just bought her a house. I'll get with Ned and she'll be able to move in once JASON fixes the roof. Jase add on a large room to the back of the house for a new master suite. The three bedrooms can be for the girls and Max and Shiree can have a new room courtesy of you. Tell the contractors I want all of it done in a week. No excuses. Oh and don't worry about taping the game for Elizabeth. Stan will be here in a few minutes to handle that for me. I'll have him make a copy for you. He's bringing help. It will be filmed like it's the Yankees playing the Mets in the World Series." Sonny walked away before Jason could protest, thank him or defend his actions with regard to Elizabeth. He knew his enforcer and knew that he was going to find another 'problem' with the house Elizabeth found until she gave up or he finally got up the courage to ask her to live with him. Jason didn't lie. It was something he just couldn't do. However, Jason had perfected the art-form of making situations happen so he didn't have to.

"He's got your number Jason. You know that right?" Max said as he lifted himself up off of the grandstand bench and started walking toward the field.

"SHUT UP MAX! And yes. I am well aware." Jason glared then dropped his head at his admission.

"Stonecold. Maximus Guardimus. The wee ones and I return. We have triumphed in the field of play and reign victorious over all things teetering and tottering." A plaid clad and beanie topped Damien Spinelli announced walking back with Cameron, Becky and Morgan in tow.

All three kids were in their white baseball uniforms with blue pinstripes down the sides. They were made by the same company that makes the Yankee's uniforms. Sonny insisted that the team received the best of the best. Their uniforms were the exact replica of the Yankees and their team bore the same name. He had also insisted that none of the parents had to put out dime one for their kids to play on his team. He stacked his team with workers from his legitimate and illegitimate company and then hired a former pro ball coach to come in and train and coach them. Jason had protested. He wanted the kids to have a real experience but Sonny being Sonny was having none of it. HIS kid was on the team so that meant only the best and stacking the cards in their favor. Just like he did with Michael and his soccer team.

"Jason, Spelly was on one side of the teeter totter and we" the little boy who had Jason firmly wrapped around his little finger gestured to himself, Morgan and Becky "were on the other side. It was so fun."

"You were huh? Thanks Spinelli. You can go if you want. You don't have to stay." Jason said looking up at his protégé as he crouched down to the children's height.

"Oh but Master, the Grasshopper wants to stay and watch the wee ones participate in America's pastime. I want to experience the hotdogs, the seventh inning stretch, sing the songs and bask in the glory of all things baseball."

"T-ball doesn't go to seven innings. But stay if you want. You can help Stan with filming it for Elizabeth." Jason adjusted Cameron's uniform then moved to adjust Morgan's. Becky's was perfect and straight but the two boys had somehow twisted their pants and their shirts were untucked. "Better yet, pull up the list of players so we can make the line up. I want that kid Justin to hit first. And Becky here, she hits fourth."

"But Jason, Becky had to go first. She's the girl. Girls first remember. That's the rule." Cameron spoke up and Morgan was nodding in agreement.

"Well boys…" he scrubbed his face trying to figure out how to explain this. "Becky is our best hitter. She needs to go fourth. If we get two players on base, she'll bring in the run. If not, she'll hit first in the second inning so we can put a score on the board. With team sports, you have to do what's best for the team and sometimes that means breaking the 'Girls First' rule. However, I am very proud of both of you that you have remembered that rule."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Jason, this is Johnny….Yeah I'm here. Where else would I be?...Listen, we have a problem…No, she's not in danger but…no, the Zacharra girl didn't go into the Museum…no she isn't…Look Jason, if you'd let me FUCKING TALK, I could tell you what the problem is." Silence. Now the man decides to be silent. Finally "Ric just entered the museum…YES RIC LANCING, WHO THE FUCK ELSE RICK SPRINGFIELD? WOULD I CALL YOU IF RICK FUCKING SPRINGFIELD WENT TO THE GODDAMN MUSEUM?...fine, I'll stop shouting…well?...WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?...you know ever since you started dating this Webber chick you've lost your fucking mind…well, you're right, I guess it IS a good thing I am at least twenty miles away from you then…yeah, yeah you can kick my ass later. I'll even let you….Really? Just stay here? No shit Sherlock...well no…I know you are at the baseball field…yes I am well aware that this is the first game…YOU KNOW YOU'RE REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME THE FUCK OFF. JASON I KNOW YOU ARE AT THE FUCKING BASEBALL FIELD WITH MORGAN AND CAMERON AND EVERY FUCKING BODY ELSE ON OUR FUCKING STAFF. I DIDN'T SAY I NEEDED YOU TO COME OVER HERE TO WIPE MY ASS. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU WANTED ME TO GO GET RID OF RIC OR STAY HERE OR WHAT….YOU KNOW WHAT? FUCK OFF MORGAN!"

Johnny hung up the phone and stared at it for a while. Jason really had been different since he had gotten back from Disney World over two months ago. When Elizabeth came to town, Jason stopped hanging out which really upset Johnny. They were pretty close friends. No more late nights at Jakes. No more pool. No more bets on who could bed a girl first. No more running smak on the dock workers. No more bar fights. It sucked going out without Jason.

Johnny was second in line to him. A kind of back up enforcer. He hadn't pulled guard duty in quite some time but Jason put him on Elizabeth. At first he thought it was to test the little brunette. Johnny had mixed emotions over that thought. First, he would love to bury himself in one Elizabeth Webber. She was HOT! Then again, burying himself in her would be basically burying himself because Jason would most certainly kill him. He was truly surprised at how much this one woman and her son had changed his pal.

To top everything else off, Jason was so indecisive. He had been suffering from a serious case of the dumb ass lately which made it even more difficult for the number two enforcer. He had to guard Elizabeth while she was at the museum five days a week then he had to pull duty for Sonny as his enforcer because _Jason wants some time_. What a load of manure. Johnny was tired, hungry, bored, filled with pent up aggression and needed to spill a load into the nearest blonde with big tits. Why Jason couldn't see that was beyond him. The pansy ass was living with blinders. Blinders by the name of Elizabeth Webber.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Can I help you? OH" Elizabeth pulled her hand to her mouth. She didn't know why Ric was there but she sure didn't want to talk to him. She has not had a conversation with him in four years. Not since he spewed all of his hurtful words at her. Now that she had been dating Jason Morgan for around two months, she finally knew what it was like to be loved. Also, she knew what it was like, what it was SUPPOSED to be like. How a real man should treat a woman. Ric was no real man.

"Elizabeth. How is your boy Casey?" Ric snarled as he slowly turned around and pierced his cold dark brown eyes into her deep pools of blue.

"His name is Cameron. What do you want?" her gaze equally cold she prayed he could not see her hands trembling.

Looking down and seeing her hands shake, Ric smiled. "I heard you were working at this gallery and I thought I would come by to see you. You know I feel really bad about the way we left things back in Colorado."

"Do you? Do you really feel bad? Because I don't really think you do. I was so hurt by that and you knew I would be. It doesn't matter though. It taught me something."

"Really? What is that?"

"It taught me what a pencil dick feels like. I'll certainly never make that mistake again. Now if you'll excuse me. I would like it if you would leave. You are not welcome here Mr. Lansing. DON'T COME BACK!"

"Such words. Did Morgan teach you to talk like that? You were so innocent and kind. Has Morgan turned you into a brazen whore?"

The silence in the room was immediately broken with a loud crack.

Johnny looked up from his phone and stopped grumbling about his phone call with Jason when he was the glass door to the museum swing open. A very red faced District Attorney Ric Lansing stormed out with a very irate looking Elizabeth Webber right behind him. She was saying something to him, loudly he assumed since he had the windows up and the A/C blasting.

Then he saw it. It was in this moment that his whole opinion changed and he no longer harbored ill will for his loss of his friend Jason Morgan and he no longer wished for a five foot whatever brunette to disappear so he could get his life back. He laughed and opened his phone. He could not wait to tell his friend that his girlfriend just shot the district attorney a bird and the DA was now walking quickly to his car rubbing his face where a clearly defined small handprint was tattooed in bright red.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Carly dinner was great. I'll have to get your recipe." Elizabeth said as she stood up and started picking up plates from the table to take to Jason's best friends kitchen. All of the other dinner guests looked back and forth at one another. A round of deep and uncontrollable laughter erupted from the table and when Elizabeth turned around she saw that everyone, including Michael and Morgan were near tears in laughing fits. Only she and Cameron were looking bewildered.

"What's so funny?" Elizabeth asked as she walked back to the table and set the stack of dirty dishes down at her place setting.

No answer.

She looked over at Jason and honestly could not remember a time she saw him laughing so hard and for so long.

"What?" she asked again.

No answer.

"Carly" broken sobs "she…she" more broken sobs "she wants your….RECIPEEEEEE" Sonny now had tears rolling down his face that he was steadily wiping away and he was hunched over the side of the table.

"Yeah Mom. How about that recipe? Do you even know what the main ingredient was?" Michael spit out through tearful laughter.

"Oh my Miss Webber, you are so funny." Max said.

"Yes, a riot!" Johnny supplied.

"What did I say?" Elizabeth asked still wondering what the hell was so darn funny. She noticed Morgan whispering to Cameron and then Cameron started laughing.

"Mommy made a joke!" Cameron announced.

"Yes she did Cam. Mommy made the funniest joke I have heard in…well forever." Jason replied as he put his arm around her waist and tugged her to him.

"Elizabeth, the whole town knows that Carly doesn't cook." Shiree explained as Kate nodded in agreement. "She doesn't make anything but reservations and large credit card bills for Sonny, Jax and Jason. Well, maybe not Jax any more. It's no secret in this town. Carly doesn't cook."

"Watch it!" Carly sobered from her own laughter. "I'm not sure I like you yet and YOU" she pointed at Elizabeth "I will never be Suzy Homemaker. I'll leave that to you."

"CARLY" Jason stopped laughing and sent a cold glare at his best friend.

"WHAT? I didn't start this. SHE did." Carly responded with a hurt look on her face and her hand to her chest.

"Jason, it's okay." Elizabeth ran her hand through Jason's hair to calm his nerves. "Carly, I really thought you cooked this. I didn't know you can't cook."

"No one said I CAN'T cook. Just that I DON'T." Carly responded with a sly grin. She was glad Elizabeth took her side against Jason's unjustified warning.

"Dinner was great. I'll have to call the chef at the No Name to thank him." Jason added as he stood and pulled Elizabeth into his arms. "We're leaving. Come on Cam. You need a bath then it's close to bed time buddy."

"Oh, I was having such a good time though." Elizabeth sighed as she looked up at Jason.

"Yeah Jase, why don't you stay. We can put the boys in the tub upstairs and Cam can spend the night if he wants to." Carly responded.

"Actually, is Letecia here? Why don't we all go out to that new Jazz club that opened up." Kate offered, looking over at Carly to judge her reaction to taking a hand in Sonny's boys care.

"Or we could all go to Jake's and play pool." Johnny offered. He shot a look over at Jason and frowned when Jason started shaking his head 'no'. "Why not Jason? Jakes too good for your girl?"

Jason's head shot up. "Why would you say something like that Johnny?"

"Well, ever since you met her, you don't seem to do any of the things you used to." Johnny replied dryly.

Max backed his chair up and pulled Shiree with him out of the way. Carly braced her hands on the table and Sonny put a protective arm around Kate just in case he needed to cover her.

"KIDS GO UPSTAIRS. NOW" Carly demanded and Michael stood pulling Cameron and Becky along. Morgan knew the look on his uncle's face and was already half up the stairs before his mother ever suggested it.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked as Jason forcefully pushed her out of the way.

"You watch your mouth Johnny. Honestly, I don't know what is going on with you. First today on the phone and now your running smak again. Whatever your problem is, it has nothing to do with Elizabeth. You make sure you remember that before opening that trap of yours again." Jason's words were cold, calculating and lethal.

"Why, is she going to wilt with the weeds?" Johnny shot back.

Jason leapt over the table and tackled Johnny. Sonny, as expected, grabbed on to Kate and shot out from the table before it broke in two. Max grabbed Elizabeth's arm and pulled her over to where Shiree was standing. Carly, of course, jumped right in between the two warring enforcers.

All of the dishes flew to the ground with a loud crash and the curtains were now pulled down from the rod. Red wine was staining Carly's white carpet. The flowers from the vase that was in the middle of the table were strewn everywhere. The large oak table that seated twelve comfortably was in several pieces on the floor and in the middle of it all, Sonny's two enforcers. The only enforcers for the Corinthos Organization were engaged in attempting to kill each other.

Fists were flying, two grown men were rolling on the ground and basically beating the shit out of each other. As soon as one would roll on top of the other, Sonny and Max would take turns pulling their guns from behind their backs. Those two boys carried a large arsenal on their person.

"We won't be able to get the ones from their boots." Max informed his boss.

"They won't go for them. Each is too quick so they know they wouldn't get down to get it without a boot to the nose." Sonny replied as he now had three guns in his suit pocket. One Johnny's and two Jason's. He clasped his hands in front of him and leaned back onto Kate who was shielded from the tirade between Sonny and the wall.

"Are either of you going to help me?" Carly asked as she tried unsuccessfully to pull the mobsters apart again.

"YOU FUCKING WATCH YOUR MOUTH ABOUT ELIZABETH" _POW!_

"YOU GO PACK SOME SAND BUDDY. I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE B..ERR..WOMAN." _BONK!_

"BITCH? YOU WERE ABOUT TO CALL HER A BITCH. YOU ARE A FUCKING DEAD MAN JOHNNY" his hands slowly closed around his friends throat.

"**JASON" **Elizabeth's scream pulled Jason out of his blind fury. He turned around and the first thing she noticed was the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Then his reddening eye.

She looked over at Johnny and saw the same thing. His eye was red, his lip was bloody, he had finger prints around his neck and Carly was pushing him back to the wall.

"Jason, just go. I'll take care of this. Get out of here." Carly said using all of her strength to keep a fuming Johnny back.

"I…Uh…" Jason looked down at Elizabeth and saw the terror in her eyes. "Fine, I'll go but this isn't over O'Brien" Jason made his last warning pointing a long slender finger at his friend. He latched on to Elizabeth's hand and headed toward the door. The last thing he saw as he marched out onto the front porch was one curly headed boy with huge eyes, crouched at the top of the stairs watching the whole thing.

XXXXXXXX

"We have to go back in and get Cam. I have to explain to him what he just saw me do." Jason said as he pulled his t-shirt up and wiped the blood from his lip. He inspected his cleaning job in the rear view mirror then looked over at Elizabeth.

"First, I would like for you to maybe explain it to me. And what were you talking about him starting this on the phone." Elizabeth asked as she pulled her legs under her on the front passenger seat of Jason's black Escalade and reached over into the back seat for Cameron's bag.

"We got into it on the phone this afternoon."

"Why?" She asked as she pulled out a small ziplock baggie with bandaids, antibacterial spray and cream, a bottle of children's aspirin, cotton swabs and a small roll of gauze.

"I DON'T KNOW ELIZABETH" His words came out harsh and loud. He was exasperated with the whole situation.

"Yes you do." Her words became even softer. He almost had to strain to hear her. She sprayed some antibacterial spray onto a cotton ball and pressed it to the corner of his mouth eliciting a hiss from Jason. "Don't be a baby."

He shot her a glare but could see the smile curving her lips and he knew she meant the dig about his open cut and his hissing from the sting of the medicine. He then let out a long slow breath. "He called me to tell me that Ric Lansing had shown up at the museum."

"Oh" she left it at that and arched her eyebrow prompting him to keep talking.

"I was so angry that I couldn't be there and Johnny was asking me what I wanted him to do. Honestly, I wanted to tell him to walk into the museum and shoot Ric dead on the spot. I should have been there. You shouldn't have had to deal with Ric by yourself."

"So since you couldn't beat up Ric, you took it out on a very close friend." She surmised correctly.

"But he kept goading me. He almost called you a bitch. I won't stand for that." Jason defended his actions.

"That was while you were already fighting. His words before weren't anything to fight over. Tell me this. Why did he say you don't do any of the things you used to do since I came to town?"

"Because I don't go out with the guys. With him specifically. I go home every night. But I want to go home every night. I want to be with you. Only you." He thought better of his words and added "And Cameron of course."

"Well, let me ask you this. Do you think I wouldn't want to date you if you hung out with the boys every once in a while? And what's with this Jake's place? Why would you think I was too good for it?"

"I never said that."

"Oh really because once Johnny suggested it you tensed, held me tighter to you and immediately shook your head 'no'."

"You saw that?"

"I catch a lot of things Jason. Like, why would you have not asked me immediately about Ric showing up at the museum today. Why is it so important that you be the perfect father figure for Cam all the time and why on earth do you keep messing with my house so I can't move in?"

Silence.

"I'm waiting" she admonished as her arms naturally crossed over her chest.

Silence.

"Jason, you have several questions that I expect some sort of answer to." She was getting irritated at his silence. They would never make it if he kept his feelings bottled up from her. She knew he wasn't a talkative man by nature but he talked to her. He always told her exactly how he felt and she needed that same honest communication now.

"Jakes is where Johnny and I go to pick up girls. I actually have my own room there. It's where I picked up Carly about thirteen or fourteen years ago. I don't want to take you there because I don't want to cheapen you like that. I am pissed at Johnny because he is calling me out on it. I know he's mad at me and I know why. He's not a guard Elizabeth. He's MY backup. I just don't trust anyone else with you. He really shouldn't be guarding you. It's not his job but I asked so he does it." Jason took a deep breath and continued. It actually felt good to get some of it off of his chest. Clear his conscience and all that. "I didn't ask you about Ric because you didn't offer. I don't know whether it's because what he said is bad, good, indifferent although I doubt it's the last two. He could easily turn you against me. Johnny's right. You are too good for me and I'm scared. I don't know what to do so I keep holding on so tight. I don't want you and Cameron to move out. I keep coming up with reasons for you not to move in to your house. I want you and Cameron with me. Always. And Cameron. If he doesn't like me, you'll never stay with me. I know how important he is to you. I just…I can't lose you. I don't want to live without you now that I know what it's like to have a family. My own family. You, me and Cam"

"And Spinelli." Elizabeth added climbing back up on her knees and moving across the SUV to sit in Jason's lap.

"And Spinelli" he breathed as he tucked his head in her neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held so tight she nearly couldn't breathe.

"Jason, let's go back inside and you and Johnny can step out front to have a talk. I'll help Carly clean up the mess. Maybe we'll go to Jakes or maybe we'll go to that Jazz club or maybe we'll just go home. Cameron may want to be with us after the display he just witnessed and YOU DO need to explain that to him."

"Elizabeth…I love you so much. Please don't leave me." He begged into her neck. His face was throbbing, he felt like an ass and he was scared to death that the woman in his arms was just a temporary moment of bliss.

"Jason, I don't know why you think I am going to leave you. I have no intention of doing anything of the sort. Get rid of the house. If you are okay with Cameron and me living with you, I am too. Cameron is thriving with you and Spinelli around. You are good for him Jason. But don't feel like you have to be the perfect parent. No one is. He loves you warts and all. And I love you too. I'm not going anywhere so quit fighting with your friends. Go out with them once in a while. I trust you. I would hope you'd get rid of the room at Jakes but I trust you won't cheat on me. Actually part of the problem is that you don't bring me around your friends very often. All they know is I'm the girl that keeps you away from them. No wonder Johnny doesn't like me. And if he's not a guard, then why are you having him guard me all day. Doesn't he have more important things to do?"

"Yes but you are the most important thing to me. I want to know that you are safe when I'm not with you. Elizabeth, you have no idea"

She placed her finger to his lips to quiet him. "You know what? Suddenly I just want to go get Cam and go home. OUR home."

"Our home" he said quietly as he leaned in and kissed her, wincing slightly at the cut on his lip.


	27. Chapter 27

Counting to Ten

Chapter 27

Late Summer….(A few months/weeks later)….

He was tired, hungry, his bones ached from the position he had been in for the past five hours and he was weary of the petite brunette he knew would already be asleep in his bed. Since Max and Shiree unexpectedly got married three weeks ago, Jason had taken on more of the guards assignments, at Elizabeth's request, to allow the young guard a honeymoon and time to adjust to the married life he so richly deserved before delving back into 'the life'.

Stepping off of the elevator, he nodded to Milo and silently gave him the go ahead to go home. Since his brother had gotten married, young Milo had taken up double duty as well. He was assigned to Michael and Morgan but also to guard the home that housed Jason's most precious treasures when he was out at night. Elizabeth and Cameron.

Opening the door, he half expected to see Elizabeth on the couch, trying unsuccessfully to wait up for him like she had done the first two weeks. However, on week three, she became irritated. Moody was not an accurate word to describe her. She didn't even try to hide it. It wasn't PMS. He checked the calendar after their first argument. It wasn't work, Carly had told him that much, although the fact that Carly would know and not him didn't sit very well. It wasn't Cameron because since joining the 'Head Start' program, he had been getting all 'stars' on his weekly report which made Jason more proud than he had a right to be. He wasn't his father after all and had only been an influence on the boy for five months.

That left him.

She was mad at him for some reason and would not disclose why. IF he could even get her to speak to him, she would say 'It's nothing' or 'I don't know what you mean' but SHE KNEW. He would call her and hear one ring then her voice mail. She was purposely ignoring his calls. He would ask her to meet him and she had excuse after excuse. He would return home late, just like tonight, and try to climb into bed and hold her, or more. She would shrug and either get up out of bed completely or physically let him know she didn't want his company.

Now as he was looking down on her in their bed, he saw she had come up with a new way to keep him from getting close. A new way to keep them from talking, kissing, making love, holding each other or even fighting. At this point he would even take the fight. This cold shoulder of hers was killing him. Right in the middle of his pillow, taking up only a third of his space but still causing him to effectively know he was spending the night on the couch, alone, was one Cameron Alexander Webber.

Scrubbing his face with his hands, he went to his dresser and pulled out a pair of cotton gym shorts and a tank top. Looking back one more time, he slowly walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

As he passed by Spinelli's room, he noticed the light on. His fist softly rapped on his door and once he heard the familiar welcome that could only come from Spinelli's brain, he opened the young man's door.

"Stonecold. I see you have returned to this, our familial abode."

"Whatever…listen…were you here tonight?"

"Why yes, all night. Why is it that you ask such an odd question?"

"Did you have a chance to talk to Elizabeth?"

"Stonecold, it is most unusual that you wish that I, your grasshopper, become intimately involved in yours and the maternal ones love life. However, with that said, she shot me down and closed the gap of communication like Y2K threatened to do to Windows."

"What?"

"It was a total wipeout. All hype, no action. She wouldn't talk to me. Actually, she did give me some insight though, she said she's not upset, she's just tired. Do you think that maybe she has a hard time achieving her necessary forty winks when her stallion is galloping into the night?"

Jason understood his comment and let out a soft laugh. His charge had an interesting way of speaking but on the rare occasions that he understood what the young man said, he was usually amused or found the kid to be insightful. "Yeah, maybe but I don't think that's it either. She won't let the stallion in the barn." he gave a wiggle of his eyebrows which in turn made the young man watching turn a brilliant shade of red. "She's just completely shut down on me."

Again, rubbing his face with the palm of his hand he looked over at Spinelli who literally hung half off of his bed on every word Jason said. Realizing Spinelli was not who he needed to speak with, he decided he was just going to have to wait until morning. "Thank's Spinelli. Go back to whatever you were doing. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"She didn't purposely put Cam in your bed." Spinelli sputtered before Jason could ge the door closed. "It's my fault why he's there."

Jason eyed Spinelli as the boys head hung low. He wasn't flinching, he knew Jason would never physically harm him but he was watching under the curtain of those damned bangs, waiting for Jason to respond. "Why is it your fault that Cameron is in bed with Elizabeth?"

"Stonecold, I didn't know…I mean, if I saw him, I would have never…"

Growing frustrated as he heard his stomach growl and his muscles screaming for relief Jason barked "JUST SPIT IT OUT SPINELLI!"

"I was watching a Freddie Krugger marathon. Maximista came over and Elizabeth had gone to bed early. I thought the little one had gone off to slumber as well but alas his little feet brought him to the landing where he watched all the death and mayhem the movies had to offer. Maximista noticed him when she came back from relieving herself of bodily fluids and I took him upstairs to bed. He started screaming about an hour ago from nightmares of the slasher variety. I am so sorry Master. Your grasshopper has been deftly lax in his guard of the littlest one and caused his frightful screams."

"So Elizabeth brought him in bed with her to console him?"

"Oddly, she hardly stirred. It was I that went to him and cleared his face of flowing water then he wanted the Maternal One so I opened your door and let him in. I didn't stay to see what happened after that. I have just been keeping an ear out in case his screams fill the penthouse again."

"She didn't wake up?"

"Well, maybe…I don't know."

"I wonder what's wrong with her. Thanks Spinelli and don't worry about it. You did nothing wrong. Cameron should not have been spying on you and your date. I'll talk to him."

"Date?"

"Well what would you call it?"

"Do you think that Maximista could possibly look at I, the Jackal, as a possible suitor?"

"What? Oh, yeah…I kind of already thought ya'll were dating."

"Ah…a dream of the most enticing proportions. But reality? I think not. One could only dream of a sensual bond with the fair Maximista for the Jackal."

"Spinelli, just keep doing whatever you are doing. She keeps coming back so that's a good sign. Just remember…" He pointed a long slender digit in his direction.

"No means no. I know Master."

"Good. Get some sleep. I'll take over the nightmare duty from here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jason stalked into the room. There must be something wrong. Maybe Elizabeth was sick. It made sense. She hadn't been feeling well and was simply pushing him away to keep him from becoming ill. He would take Cameron back into his own room and stay there with him so he didn't have any more nightmares. This way Elizabeth could sleep and he and Cameron wouldn't catch it.

He quietly went over to the bed. He first reached for Cameron. At his first touch the boy instinctively turned toward him. Jason used this leverage to lift the boy into his arms. He cradled his head into the crook of his neck and then sat back down onto the bed. He brushed his fingertips through Elizabeth's hair. She didn't feel like she was running a fever. Actually she felt slightly clammy.

He turned and lifted Cameron and himself off of the bed. He would call to get her in to see a doctor in the morning. He had the day off, the first in quite some time and he intended to spend the entire time with his family. Elizabeth being sick was what he needed to get close to her and dote on her. He needed her to know how much he loved her and wanted to take care of her.

He was almost out the door when he heard her.

"Jason?"

"Yes honey" he said quietly as he turned around and ran his hand through Cameron's curly hair as he walked back over to the bed.

"What's wrong with Cameron?"

"He had a nightmare. Go back to sleep, I'll take care of it and we'll talk in the morning." He turned to leave and she stopped him again.

"Jason?"

"Yes"

"Come back to bed. We'll take care of Cam together okay?"

"Honey, are you sick or something? I mean, I don't want Cam getting it and he needs someone tonight. You told Spinelli you weren't feeling well and….well…you haven't seemed like yourself lately. I just…I would rather keep Cam from catching whatever you have and we'll go see the doctor tomorrow so you can get better."

"I'm not sick. Well, I am sick but…it's not catching. Look, just come back to bed. There's enough room for all three of us. We'll talk in the morning. You and I that is."

Elizabeth patted the bed beside her. She never really opened her eyes, she just moved over and waited for him to climb in. Once he did and Cameron was safely tucked into his arms and under the covers, Elizabeth leaned up on her elbow and placed a kiss to Cameron's forehead then moved to give Jason the same affection.

"Elizabeth, what's going on? I mean…have I done something that would make you mad at me?"

"Well, yes and no. You have done something alright and at first I WAS mad at you." She sat up now and stretched. Her eyes fluttered open and let out a yawn.

Jason watched as her silk soft green camisole nightgown lifted and lowered along her curves. He ached to touch her. They had rarely gone so long without being with one another. In fact, the last time they had gone so long without making love was between their first and second time and they were not speaking or in the same town at that point. Now it seems, they are in the same town, same room even but still this was the most conversation he'd gotten from her in a week and the fact that she invited him in bed was a miracle. Of course, she also invited Cam but he wasn't going to dicker over semantics at this point. She wanted him near her and she was talking, had even kissed his cheek in his attempt to lift his head to reach her lips. A cheek was what he got and it was worth it. It was better than the forehead and the lips would be next if he had anything to say about it.

"So I did something that you were mad at but now you're not?"

"Well…" she laughed at the ridiculousness of it all but still answered honestly, "Yes"

"Honey, what did I do? I'll fix it. I'll take it back. I'll never do it again if you'll please just stop being mad at me and talk to me."

Frustrated, she lifted herself off of the bed and walked over to the window. She had wrestled with this for a week. She was terrified of telling him. She knew he loved her but what would his reaction be? It wasn't something they had ever faced or even discussed. He whole life could change on a dime from this one discussion. She thought about his questions and pondered them in her mind.

"What you did, you can't fix and you can't take it back. If you never did it again, we would never survive our relationship and I wouldn't want to." She mumbled more to herself but Jason heard.

She's tired. Irritable. She was mad at me at first but then she wasn't. I can't fix it or take it back and she doesn't want me to. His mind replayed the facts over and over as he watched her in the moonlight of the French doors she was staring out. He watched her shaking her head as she was apparently talking to herself in her mind. Then he saw it and everything became crystal clear.

Her chocolate brown locks were cascading over her shoulder and shaking back and forth as she wrestled with whatever was bothering her in her mind. The moonlight was giving off a glow of her porcelain skin that was bared on her shoulders, arms and bits of her back when her hair moved from it. Her silk camisole nightgown hung just above her knees and as he perused her body, he noticed that her breasts seemed fuller in this piece of clothing. He licked his lips with wanton desire to suckle them.

She let out a sigh which caused him to be pulled from his desire filled thoughts just long enough to see her glance over her back at him and Cameron and then look down. Her hands came up to rest low on her belly and Jason shot up in bed from the realization as it struck him.

"We're having a baby?" Jason said excitedly in a half question and half statement.

Elizabeth spun around at his question. Her eyes larger than he'd ever seen them. She was looking at him wearily. She didn't look afraid, just unsure and maybe a bit uneasy at what his reaction might be to her answer. "Yes" she said so quiet he almost didn't hear her.

Jason shot out of the bed with a furious intent to be near her. It took four long strides to reach her but once he did, she was off of her feet and cradled in his arms. "A baby! Elizabeth, a baby."

He peppered her face and hair with kisses. She held on because he was spinning them around.

"JASON STOP!" she insisted as she braced herself with her hand to his forearm.

"Oh, sorry. Are you sick?"

"Well, if you keep spinning me I will be."

Jason gently put her down and opened the door to their balcony gently tugging her out to join him in their chaise lounge chair. He pulled her down into his lap and pulled the blanket she kept out there over them both. With his arms wrapped around her he laced his fingers with hers and placed both of their hands on her belly. "When? When did you find out?"

"I…I haven't gone to the doctor yet but I am two weeks late and I took a home pregnancy test yesterday. It was positive."

"We're pregnant." He breathed as he kissed the crown of her head.

"No, I'm pregnant. Jason, are you really happy about this? I mean…once you think about it…it's not like we've ever talked about having kids. I'm just your girlfriend. We've only been dating"

"Hey!" he cut her off "You are not just my girlfriend. You are the love of my life. I don't care how long we've been together only how long we WILL be together and that is forever as far as I'm concerned. We may have never talked about having kids but you know…I have really thought about it. Cam makes me think about it all the time. I want to be a father to your children. I thought I had proven that by now."

"Well, yeah but…"

"No buts. I know we haven't really done this relationship like most people do. I mean, everything has been so rushed. Mostly by me. I just…there's no reason to wait. At least I don't see any reason. So we didn't plan this. What in our relationship HAS been planned. I love you. That's all that matters."

He turned her head and kissed her soundly on the lips. She responded which was all the encouragement he needed to deepen it. His tongue traced her bottom lip requesting entrance to which she obliged. Their kiss was passionate and slow. Each drinking in the other. Once air became necessary they pulled apart and she turned back to rest her head in his chest.

"We're having a baby." He said quietly. His words laced with hope and joy.

"Yeah" she said, not quite so sure and happy as his statement was.


	28. Chapter 28

**Counting to Ten**

**Chapter 28**

"Jason" "JASON" **"JASON!!"** Sonny finally yelled while kicking his enforcer's motorcycle boot effectively causing said enforcer to lose his balance perched on the edge of Sonny's mahogany desk inside the coffee shop office.

Johnny, Max and Francis, the top three employees of the Corinthos Morgan Organization all laughed as they watched their boss startle from the swift kick to his boot. His left foot, which was crossed at the ankle over his right one, flew up and then down with a thud and Jason's nicely toned ass slid sideways. He barely caught himself with his right foot before he took a header into the potted Parlour Palm that Sonny received from Kristina for Father's Day.

"What the FU-" Jason stopped realizing all eyes were on him and he currently did not remember Max and Francis walking in. Groaning as he realized he must have fallen asleep he scrubbed his palm across his face two times before settling it over his mouth and peeking over his forefinger to see Sonny gaping at him.

Nicely dressed as always, Sonny smoothed his silk black tie down onto his silk black shirt then pushed open his Italian suit jacket to place both hands sternly on his hips. Jason watched as the man he called his friend, boss and mentor shifted back and forth from foot to foot as the suit, one that Jason could only describe as the color of the olives Carly liked lots of in her Dirty Martini's, swayed with his body. Finally he jammed his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat.

"Is there a reason why you are falling asleep while I am discussing the possibility of needing you to take out Anthony Zacharra soon?"

"Huh? We were talking about the security down in Puerto Rico and the possibility that Johnny needed to go down there to check out the floor boss to see if he's skimming profits from us."

The room burst into an open laughter that only one man, the blondest, bluest eyed one was not privy to.

"What?" Now it was Jason's turn to gape. He directed his astonishment toward HIS employees, not his boss. "Is there something funny? Do I need to remind you three that this is a business meeting?"

Sonny, finally having enough and realizing this needed to be cleared before they could focus on business walked back around to his desk and sat up straight clasping his hands together in front of him on the desk.

"Jason, you fell asleep. What's going on man?"

"I did not!" Jason protested, jumping up from his perch on the side of Sonny's desk and facing him.

"YES, you did." Sonny responded to the blatant lie then leaned back in his desk chair because he never appreciated when Jason would loom over him in front of the guys. It showed weakness and he didn't like it. "Look, I'm not mad I just want to know what's going on. You have been looking ragged for the past few weeks. I knew the day was going to come soon when you fell asleep in my office. I thought you did yesterday. I just want to know why. Are you not getting enough sleep lately?"

Eight eyes, four pair, two brown sets, one green set and one black set were trained on Jason. He slumped down into the open chair, his rightful spot, to the right of Sonny's desk. His head immediately lowered then looked up scanning the room and settling on Sonny's. "Yes, well…no. It's not so much that I don't get any sleep, I'm just…exhausted."

He finally slid the last word out with his last breath. Every man in the room knew that feeling. Each man was imagining their own reasons behind it. Max remembered that feeling from last summer when he and Milo were replacing Mama Giambetti's roof, just the two of them, on their time off. Two weeks straight or work, home, roof, dinner, roof, shower, sleep, work. Poor Milo woke up one afternoon with Alexis' makeup all over his face. Kristina had decided he looked better as a woman. Francis remembered his three months of training for the Ultimate Fighting Championship that just a month ago he won. He had literally perfected the art of sleeping with his eyes open during those months. Johnny, with a clearly illicit glint in his eye, remembered the week he and Jason spent in Cabo last Christmas. They did nothing but surf, drink, fight and fuck. The only sleep they got for one hundred forty-four hours straight was when they would crash an hour or two once their flavor of the evening slipped on her dress and slipped out the door as the sun rose or when they would pass out on the beach waiting for the waves to kick up. Johnny smiled with an audible sigh as he remembered those wonderful six days. Jason was a great wing man and vice versa. They enjoyed the bar room brawls then always got the pick of the litter. Thank God they had their own bungalows after the first night. It was kind of weird hearing a woman scream Jason's name while he was pounding her sister. They agreed adjoining hotel rooms was NOT the way to go. Walls were too thin.

However, it was the black set of eyes that zeroed in on the true problem with the enforcer. "You are getting little sleep because Elizabeth is in her second trimester."

Jason hesitantly looked at Sonny then said a silent prayer that his friend would leave it at that. No such luck. He should have known better. He has long since come to terms that due to his job, God probably doesn't much listen to him and he was definitely going to hell in the end. He knew Father Coates insists that all you need is salvation and to ask for forgiveness but Jason was a realist. He just didn't see that as being enough to cover his sins.

"Boy do I remember that. When Carly was pregnant with Morgan, the first trimester she did nothing but throw up and sleep, _then_ the second trimester came along. Jesus, I never had so much sex in my life."

All eyes snapped out of their own mental images of exhaustion and pierced the blue eyes of the enforcer. Max snickered and Francis' crooked smile matched his crooked nose. Johnny, however, was not so discreet.

"Hot Damn. Tell us about it Jason. Is she keeping you up all night? Is that why you had to leave and go to the museum yesterday? I take it Spinelli the nerdboy is doing a LOT of babysitting huh? I need to find a pregnant woman. What did you call it? Her tricycle? How will I know?"

Groaning, Jason again scrubbed his face and looked at his boss in his infamous glare that told Sonny he needed to fix this before his enforcer simply walked out the door. However, the look on Sonny's face told Jason that he was enjoying this and along with Johnny wanted to live vicariously through him for the moment.

"I am not discussing my sex life with you four." Jason said matter of fact considering the subject closed.

Sonny on the other hand decided that Jason's response was as good of an affirmation as he was going to get so he was going to get the topic started and see where it went from there. "Hell Jase, I know what you are going through. I remember being woken up three, four sometimes five times a night because Carly couldn't get enough. I remember one weekend where the only time she would let me out of bed was to go get her something to eat. Thank God for Letecia. She took Michael…actually that weekend she took Michael over to you and Courtney's to stay. Shit I couldn't eat breakfast at the table without her hopping up and down on my lap. Let's see…" he looked up to the ceiling and thoughtfully tapped his index finger to his chin "that lasted about four months. You're in what week two of those four months?"

Finally, Sonny got the response he was looking for. Jason groaned and sat up only to slump over face in hands. Sonny, taking pity on his second in command, rose and with a wave of his hand dismissed the two guards and one enforcer. Max, Francis and Johnny all silently stood and left the room. Jason was grateful for that. Although both he and Sonny knew that Johnny would be back with questions. He was probably headed to the hospital now to find out about this second tricycle as he mistakenly called it.

Sonny shut the door behind the men then pulled one of the other chairs in the room over to sit in front of his best friend. They remained silent for some time. Sonny knew Jason well enough over the past fourteen years to know that when he was ready, his enforcer known to most for his deadly silence would start talking. Within a few minutes he did just that.

"Sonny, I am so exhausted. Don't get me wrong…I am very happy for this turn of events. Especially since the first few weeks she wouldn't even talk to me much less let me touch her but…" He trailed off. Jason Morgan was never comfortable talking about these type things. It was embarrassing, extremely personal and something that he felt should be kept between a man and his woman. However, on rare occasions he went to Sonny. He needed the older man's advice and wisdom and experience.

And he certainly could NOT go to his other best friend. She would simply tease him until he blew up at her and either made her cry or act out in a way that caused him even more headache. No, no Carly could never be the person he used as a sounding board for his love life. She hated every girl that looked at him, except for Courtney. She would tease him then start talking about the things that THEY used to do to each other. If she wasn't in a relationship, she would try to throw herself at him to prove to him that she was all he would ever need.

Carly was good for doing things for him without question. She would start a bar room brawl singlehandedly without concern for her well being if Jason merely suggested it to help him out. She was even good for just hanging out. In recent years they had a standing date on her couch or his once a month with popcorn, frozen pizza and gory movies. Ever since Jasper Jax, she was even good as a friend to keep her opinions to herself, _mostly_, and let him have his relationship with Elizabeth without her being mean and spiteful to the woman he loved. Jason attributes that to the fact that the Aussie finally came back to her after three LONG months apart and they married. In his wedding toast to his wife, he admitted that he had no intentions of coming back until her "Best Person" flew down to the outback to tell him how miserable Carly was and how much she missed him and realized her mistakes. Then he threatened to kick his ass or possibly kill him and no one would be the wiser because he was just that good if he didn't return to her. In the end, the convincing Jason had done reunited the smitten pair. Carly was eternally grateful.

However, Sonny was the friend he would talk to about the intimate matters in his relationships, except, of course, when he dated and then married the mobster's sister. They barely held on to their friendship during those years.

"Let me guess, it's not always as…gratifying?...yes, gratifying is the word." Sonny suggested.

"Well, it's kind of hard to be in the mood twenty four hours a day and sometimes she comes from the bathroom after her morning sickness has taken over. I mean…she's brushed her teeth and all but….uugggh. I can hear the sound of her throwing up ringing in my ears and she's wanting…" he paused. He didn't need to spell it out to Sonny. The man obviously knew what he was getting at. "Then half the time, she doesn't even care if I…enjoy it. I mean…once she…well…she's done and off talking about eating or wanting to paint or errands she needs to run or something. Sonny, half the time I've got to…"

Jason stopped and could feel the heat of the blush singeing his ears. He didn't mean to be that specific and graphic. He dropped his head even lower into his chest if that was possible. He couldn't look at Sonny.

Sonny knew what he was talking about and remembered those times as well with his pregnant wife. He decided to take pity on Jason and let him off the hook.

"Yep, it's the damdest thing when you've been inside your wife more times than you've been out of her and you still finish up the week hat in hand so to speak." He looked up from his own hands to see the wide eyed expression of his enforcer and the quick nod that told him that Jason was as miserable right now as Sonny had sometimes been back then. Letting out a long breath, Sonny prodded on into the topic. "Jason, you need to take control. Be the man. Say no sometimes. Help her out with…uh…props. Stop worrying about it being pleasurable for her and…umm…get yours first. Trust me, she's going to settle down and you two will find your rhythm and you'll find that these few months will become very enjoyable for the both of you. That intimacy so often will give you two a chance to get even closer, if that's possible. Carly and I had some of the best conversations ever in the five minutes she would let me catch my breath."

Sonny finished his thought with a laugh that drew one from Jason as well. Then Jason became somber again. "She doesn't want conversations. If I didn't know better, well actually maybe I don't…sometimes I get the feeling she's not happy about this baby. Sonny, I don't get it because I am ready to come out of my skin I am so happy about this and she just…isn't."

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know. When we talk about the baby, most of the time she changes the subject. That's been the case since I found out, not just the last few weeks. It's like she doesn't want to acknowledge the baby exists. Then, if I do manage to keep us on topic, she's worried about her job. HER JOB. She'll say she's only worked there for half a year and the Rigby's can't afford to give her the time off because of Eleanor's treatments. She only told them last week because she had to schedule her appointment with Dr. Lee on a day she had to work." Jason shifted on the chair and leaned his elbows on his knees clasping his hands together between them. He studied his hands a few minutes then looked up staring straight into his friend's eyes. "She didn't tell her family. Her family Sonny. We flew out there last weekend and before we got off the plane she asked that I be sure not to let it slip. What the hell is that about?"

"You guys have told Cameron right? Cause Michael and Morgan know and I think Max's girls know. They'll tell him and that little boy needs to hear it from you."

Jason sat back up straight. "Yes we told Cameron but only because I wanted to. She wasn't sure but I convinced her he needed to be part of this so he doesn't feel left out or get jealous of the new baby when he or she comes. And of course you guys know and Spinelli. I've told Emily and Monica. I don't know if they told Edward but I don't really give two shits if the old man knows. All he's going to do is bug me about the child being a fucking Quartermaine and I tell you Sonny, I'll probably finally clock the old man when that conversation comes. Come to think of it, we should probably get Diane to prepare for THAT defense now."

Both men laughed.

Sonny stood and put his hand on Jason's shoulder giving it a light squeeze. "Look, you need to find a way for you two to talk, and I mean REALLY talk about all of this. If she has reservations, you deserve to know about them and why. As far as today, all I can do is offer you my office. Take a long deserved nap on the couch. I'll tell Max and the new barista that you are not to be disturbed. I'll put my desk phone on silence and I can work from the house or maybe I'll go take Kate out for the afternoon. All this sex talk makes me want to…"

"Have sex?" Jason offered with a discrete lifting of his blonde brow.

"Well, YEAH!" Sonny replied. "Get some sleep. Three or four hours work for you?"

When Jason gave an affirmative nod of his head then lifted himself off the chair and deposited himself on Sonny's couch, Sonny smiled and shut the light out. "I'll tell Max. Turn off your phone. I'll call Pete and Milo to let them know that if it's urgent, REALLY urgent with Elizabeth or Cameron, to call Max and he'll come wake you."

"Thanks Sonny"

Morgan and Cameron were both in the same pre-school and the ritual since school started was that Letecia would get both boys and head to Carly's house to wait for Michael to get home from Middle School. Elizabeth or Jason would pick up Cameron before dinner time. Rarely was Carly home when Elizabeth went to pick him up. Then again, rarely was Carly NOT home when Jason was coming to get him.

Elizabeth had been warned by more than just Jason that Carly was never, ever nice to anyone Jason dated. She considered herself lucky that Carly's incidents had been few and far between. Even Carly herself had told the petite brunette how lucky she was that she was behaving for Jason's sake when it came to her, especially after their first meeting. Everyone still talked about it as if Elizabeth had stuck her head in a lion's mouth and came out without a scratch. Jason thinks that's EXACTLY what she did when she maced Carly and got away with it.

Elizabeth waited for Pete to open her door. She noticed Kate's car in Carly's driveway and thought it odd. Those two never left a common area without claw marks. Wondering what the hullaballoo will be today, she marched her tired body up the few step to Carly's front door. Milo opened it for her and she stepped into the melee.

"I already told you, you and Sonny have to clear things through me before you just drop over to pick up the kids. And you, you don't even get a say. They are Sonny and my kids. Not yours. You're just Sonny's flavor of the month. He'll tire of you soon and I don't want my kids getting too attached to you. I would hate for your Manhattan snobbery to rub off on them."

Inspecting her nails as a show of said snobbery and a tried and true method of crawling under Carly's skin, Kate Howard finally flicked them once, twice then sighed. "Carly, all we wanted to do was take the boys to dinner. There's no harm, they'll be home in time for bath's and bed time. Sonny and I had a really nice afternoon and we wanted to spend an hour or two enjoying the boys. It's not often lately that Sonny isn't preoccupied with the Zacharras or that troll of a brother."

"That's another thing. Ric has approached the kids at the park three times in the past few months and I want to know what Sonny and Jason plan to do about it." Carly bellowed then noticing Elizabeth silently taking in the squabble, turned her attention to the mother to be. "What the hell are you doing here? Jason is supposed to come and get Cam. I need to talk to him. I have been calling him all day."

"Me too. I am not sure what's up. Pete just told me when I got in the car that we would be getting Cameron because Jason couldn't be disturbed." Elizabeth defended, not sure why she needed to defend herself to the shrieking blonde for coming to pick up her own child.

Suddenly concerned, Carly righted herself and turned back to Kate. "Did Sonny say anything to you? About Jason?"

"Uh, no. Elizabeth, why don't you sit down for a minute? Pregnant women shouldn't be on their feet so long." Kate answered then promptly changed the subject.

Well, that was the wrong thing to do. Carly picked up on it instantly and squinted her eyes at the fashionista. "What do you know?"

Arm linked with Elizabeth's after Milo helped Elizabeth off with her coat, hung it on the rack then shut the door behind as he headed outside to where Pete and Zach, Kate's bodyguard, were standing on the front lawn; Kate moved the younger woman over to the oversized yellow chair in the Jacks' living room. "Carly, really. Doesn't this ever get tiring for you? I don't know anything. Anything at all."

She almost got away with it. ALMOST. However, if there was one thing Carly knew, it was to pick apart a sentence to find the truth. Saying 'I don't know anything' could have been the truth but to repeat it by following that sentence up with 'Anything at all' meant that she knew everything. "SPILL IT" Carly practically yelled. "Where's Jason? What's going on? What did Sonny tell you?"

Kate shot a quick look over at Elizabeth then turned back to Carly and tried again to sidestep the issue. "Carly you know that Sonny never discusses business with me. It's a rule those guys live by as I am sure you remember."

Kate was right, and Carly knew it but she also knew that Kate was keeping something from her and it was something she knew about Jason. She let her gaze wander around the room as she folded her arms over her chest and thought. Finally it hit her when her eyes swept over the tired little waif who had just lifted her swelling feet onto her three thousand dollar teak wood coffee table.

"Well, I know they never would tell us about business but if you know anything about Jason, I would think since you know, it would be okay to say because…Elizabeth has a right to know where her boyfriend is."

That sealed the deal. Elizabeth was now looking at Kate. Carly smirked as she thought to herself that all she needed to do now was sit back and listen. All would soon be revealed.

"Kate, what you and Sonny discuss is private and I respect that but if you do know where Jason is or why I haven't been able to get a hold of him since lunchtime, I really would appreciate knowing. Or at least knowing that he's okay and it doesn't have to do with us. He and I, that is." Elizabeth pointed to her chest with the last statement, sitting up straight and leaning slightly forward toward Kate who was now sitting on the couch.

"Elizabeth, Jason is fine. I promise you that. He's not doing anything dangerous. Actually, it's the complete opposite." Kate reassured her with a pat on Elizabeth's wool skirt covered knee.

'Ah ha' Carly thought. 'She does know where Jason is. Now I need to steer Elizabeth into drawing the info out of her'. Moving to sit in the matching chair on the other side of the couch she faced Elizabeth.

"Well, I am sure whatever it is, you'll find out soon enough. Although Jason has never been the type to keep secrets or just disappear when it wasn't business." The lie flew from her mouth like Champaign from a fountain. It was a perfected art that Carly prided herself on.

That perked the brunette's ears up. "Kate….DO you know where Jason is?"

She finished her sentence with a raised eyebrow and placed her hand on Kate's forearm to keep her attention. When Kate tried to turn her head, Elizabeth gave a squeeze which effectively caused the bob haired woman to lock gazes.

"I…I promised I…I wouldn't say anything." Kate stuttered.

"Why?" Carly prompted.

"Yes, why?" Elizabeth kept and held her gaze as well as her arm.

"It's stupid really."

"What is?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, honestly Elizabeth…Sonny gave Jason the day off to…" Kate drifted off. How is she supposed to tell this sweet, sweet girl that her boyfriend needs a nap because her libido is wearing him out?

"To WHAT?" Carly demanded, now sitting on the edge of the plush chair.

"I shouldn't be saying anything. I mean…I promised Sonny. I am sure that Jason will tell you…well maybe he won't but it's nothing to worry about. Really it isn't." Kate said now standing to get out from under Elizabeth's brilliant blue glare. She walked over to the window and both women watched as her absent mindedly toyed with the bow on the front of her Fendi one of a kind dress.

"Kate? Is Jason planning…I mean…is he?...Is he shopping for rings?" Elizabeth asked with a huge amount of hopefulness in her voice.

Carly picked up on it and eyed the muffin faced girl with suspicion. "Why would you ask that? He hasn't proposed already?"

When she saw the sad look in Elizabeth's eyes the only thing she could describe her feelings as were shock. "He hasn't? Oh My God! Jason hasn't proposed to you and you are carrying his child?" She let out a laugh and then immediately regretted it when she saw the saddened slump of the pregnant woman's shoulders. "Oh honey, are you sure? I mean hell, Michael wasn't even his child and he had offered to marry me. He married Brenda Barrett just because she thought she was dying and he couldn't stand her. You guys haven't talked about marriage at all? That's not like Jason."

Once Carly opened her mouth and started chomping down on her Gucci slides, Kate saw the tears starting to build in Elizabeth's eyes. "It's not that Carly and I am sure that Jason and Elizabeth have talked plenty about their child, marriage and everything the future holds for the four of them, Jason, Elizabeth, Cam and the new baby. They have probably talked about houses and schedules and….shoot they probably even have a plan to include young Damien in their happy family."

Well I hope the Cavalli heels taste just as good as Carly's Gucci slides because Kate was chewing right along with her. Both girls watched as Elizabeth broke down into a full blown cry fest, hormones and all spilling right over her plump little cheeks.

"Jesus Kate, you made the girl cry. Why don't you just tell us where Jason is? All you've done is make Elizabeth worry and wonder. She's pregnant Kate and I am here to tell you… pregnancy does some crazy things to a woman. She's crying over a Gatorade commercial then tossing her cookies then jumping her husband's bones all in the same minute."

"Elizabeth, I am sorry I made you cry. I wasn't thinking. Jason isn't doing anything. Honestly, he's not doing ANYTHING." Kate quickly moved back to her position on the couch and pulled both of Elizabeth's hands into her own."

"Then what is he doing Kate? Obviously _you_ know." Elizabeth squeaked out between sobs.

"He's taking a nap." She said with a nod of her head hoping that would end the discussion.

"A N-AP?" Carly sing songed. Then she started to laugh. "Second trimester. I remember."

Elizabeth looked up then. "A nap? Why?" then turning to Carly "What do you mean?"

Carly sat back and laughed crossing her arms over her chest in a triumphant huff. "You're horny…ALL the time. You are in your second trimester and you're horny. I remember it well. I wouldn't even ask. Sonny would wake up to me straddling him. He wouldn't even understand how I was able to get him up while he was sleeping. The asshole would actually say no to me half the time. Hell I remember one time he drummed up some kind of bullshit about threats just so he could go hide out in one of the safe houses for a few days while Jason took care of me."

Kate and Elizabeth's heads snapped and Carly could have sworn she needed to duck from the daggers Elizabeth's eyes were shooting. "I don't mean take care of me like THAT! I mean Sonny's chicken ass went and hid from me and my never ending sex drive to rest up and…well….reload if you know what I mean."

"Carly, you are so crude. I have never in my life met" Kate uttered completely flabbergasted by the crude way Carly was going on and on about the subject.

"Oh please. You've never met someone like me? Well thank you. You probably never will." She tipped her chin and then turned her attention back to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth? Has your libido kicked into overdrive?"

Elizabeth didn't answer and when she realized both women in the room were staring at her intently she dropped her chin to her chest and twisted her fingers round and round each other.

"I'll take that as a yes. Okay, okay…we can fix this. Obviously you're killing the boy. I mean if Sonny gives him the afternoon off to take a nap, that's not a good sign for Jason. I mean come on Elizabeth…we're not blind or dumb here. We all know exactly what these guys _REALLY_ do for a living and Jason….well his job cannot afford for him not to be focused, well rested and alert. It could get him, you, Cam, Sonny, Kristina, me or my boys killed."

"What about me?" Kate asked clearly ticked at Carly's blatant disregard and obvious elimination of her name from the list of important people needing to be protected by Jason.

"What about you?" Carly sneered.

"Wonderful, my boyfriend is hiding from me because I can't seem to keep my hands off of him. He doesn't want to marry me and has not even uttered the words much less anything about a house with a yard or schedules or baby names or well anything that would indicate he actually wanted to marry the mother of his child. Then you tell me he offered to marry you when he knew Michael wasn't even his. He married a woman he didn't even like because she was sick but me? OH NO! Then the conversation turns the way it always turns with you two. Don't worry about me. I'm fine over here with my life completely falling apart. I'm an unwed mother. AGAIN. I can't even tell my Grams because the shame I'll see is too unbearable. I am trying to figure out how to tell my four year old why he and I will have one name and the baby and Jason will have another name. I have no promises, no security, no future planned. I've got a couple thousand dollars in my bank account because Jason won't let me spend a dime of my own money and every time I try to behind his back, he finds out and Spinelli wires the money back in. I have a job that I love but won't be able to do soon because I'll be as big as a house. They're going to replace me I'm sure because they need someone they can rely on, not some slutty woman who can't seem to keep from getting pregnant every time she opens her damn legs and has two babies and no husband. I AM THE PERVERBIAL WOMAN WITH THE SCARLET LETTER ON MY CHEST OR WHATEVER THAT STORY IS BUT HEY, LET'S STOP SO YOU TWO CAN FIGHT ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THE HOLD YOU DON'T HAVE" she pointed at Kate "AND YOU DO HAVE" she pointed at Carly "ON A MAN WHO WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU" she kept her finger pointed at Carly "AND IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT IN LOVE WITH YOU.HELL SONNY ASKED YOU TO MARRY HIM** AND YOU'RE NOT PREGNANT BUT JASON? I'M HAVING HIS FUCKING KID AND HE'S OFF HIDING TO TAKE A FUCKING NAP**."

Elizabeth was now standing and both women's mouths were dragging the floor from the tirade Elizabeth had just unleashed in Carly's living room. She was physically shaking and all three men outside jumped out of sight when she turned and stalked over to the window to try to calm herself.

Everyone within three blocks had just heard Elizabeth's tirade. And it WAS a tirade. There was no other word to describe it. She was exhausted and shaking and scared and damnit…SHE WAS HORNY. **AGAIN.**

Michael had listened to almost all of the conversation. He was at the stairs during the entire tirade and then continued to listen after checking on Morgan and Cameron to see if they had heard Elizabeth's meltdown. Luckily the boys were too engrossed in the Spongebob episode. They hadn't heard a word.

Michael listened to his mother and Kate try to calm Elizabeth down and heard Elizabeth crying that she's scared that now that she's pregnant Jason is going to realize what trouble she's brought to his life. They had never even discussed having more children and even though he was great with Cameron, there was nothing that would keep him if he wanted to leave.

Michael nodded along as his mother tried to reassure Elizabeth with stories of when Michael was little and that Jason was the most loyal man she knew. He fisted his hands in the air in triumph for his mother's success when he heard Elizabeth agree with her and say that she knew that Jason loved her and Cameron. He learned a new appreciation for Kate when Kate told her that Jason gushed about being a father when she asked how Elizabeth was feeling when she stopped by the coffee house last week. And he turned as red as his hair when they started discussing toys to use so that Jason could get some sleep.

Knowing once again that his Uncle was being his usual stupid, idiotic, lame brained self, he snuck out the back door and headed over to the coffee house.

"Is my Uncle Jason still here?" Michael asked as Max looked past him for Milo or…someone. "I snuck out. Please don't tell on me. I just got off of restriction for the last time."

"Michael, you aren't supposed to leave without a guard. It's not because we're trying to be mean or keep you somewhere you don't want to be. It's because there really is danger out there. You know. You've been kidnapped enough to know."

"I know but I really, REALLY need to talk to my Uncle Jason and he doesn't answer his phone."

"Look, I'll find Jason for you and you have to make a deal with me. If I talk your Dad into giving you your own guard, will you promise to always keep him with you."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked looking up at a man he has known and trusted forever.

"Well, what if I get you a younger guard. One that's still top notch but a little younger than even Milo. I'll tell him he has to report to me when it comes to your sneaking out but that he can't rat you out to your folks. Is that fair? Oh, and Jason will have to approve it too. If I can get Jason's approval I won't need Sonny's and I can't lose my job for helping a snot nosed teenager sneak out to meet girls and all." Max ruffled Michael's hair and then socked him lightly in the gut for good measure.

"It's a deal but Max…it's really urgent that I speak to Jason right now. I mean like life or death urgent." Michael was shifting from foot to foot. His tell tale sign that he was nervous.

Max stood straight and peered at his young charge. "What do you mean life or death? Has something happened? Tell me what's going on Michael."

"Well not life and death like someone has a gun but life and death as in if I don't talk to my Uncle right now something might happen and he won't want his life and he'll want to die."

Max thought a moment. Michael has always been a straight forward kid. He's never been intentionally mean or ruthless. Well, except for those couple of times he played tricks on his parents in hopes that they would reconcile. If Michael feels it's important, then it probably was. Besides, Jason could be literally in a life or death situation and he would stop to listen to anything Michael needed to tell him.

"Your Uncle is in your Dad's office. Go on in. He may still be asleep so don't turn on the light, just call his name. Don't startle him, I don't want you to get hurt. You know how Jason is about being woken up. Just….well…why am I telling you. You know better than I do. I'll get to work on our other project. We'll call it Michael's Safety Project."

Michael headed toward the office door then turned. "No, let's call it Operation Run for Cover, because that's what we'll ALL be doing including Uncle Jason if Mom get's wind of this."

Both laughed and Michael headed in. He shut the door and left the light off but opened the blinds so that light could shine in.

"Uncle Jason" "UNCLE JASON" "**UNCLE JASON" **Michael finally yelled while kicking his uncle's motorcycle boot effectively causing the greatest uncle in the world to finally wake up.

"Michael? What are you doing here? Are you okay?" Jason asked scrubbing his hand over his face and sitting up.

"Yeah, I'm okay but you're not. Jeez, how dumb are you? I feel like I have worked harder at this that you have." Michael sat down next to Jason on the couch and patted his Uncle's shoulder just Jason always did to him when he was giving Michael advice.

"What? Worked harder at what? Did you just call me dumb?" Jason was trying to clear the fog from his brain but there was something about being able to sleep when you know you are safe. You sleep deeper. More restfully. You let down all of your guard. That's always how he would sleep when he knew Max or Johnny or Francis were specifically guarding him. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, which he would find had been four and a half hours, but he felt like he had slept for a week. Stretching his arms, then his back muscles then standing and stretching the rest of his body he turned to his nephew and asked again. "What are you doing here Michael?"

"I'm here to save you from losing the best thing to ever happen to you. I'm going to pull your dweeby butt out of the fire once again so that you can keep that family of yours."


	29. Chapter 29

**Counting to Ten**

**Chapter 29**

Jason walked into Carly's house at almost the same time Sonny did. Jason had called Sonny once he finally got out of Michael EVERYTHING the twelve year old had heard. This was clearly a time where Michael's father and mother needed to talk to him. Jason facilitated that by telling Sonny that Elizabeth's guard called concerned that Elizabeth was having to referee in yet another cat fight between the fashion editor and the hotel owner. It wasn't so much a lie, Jason reasoned with his conscience. Michael had explained the sniping remarks the two were having in between his detailed accounting of Elizabeth's tirade and his questions about what 'toys' Elizabeth needed when Jason was tired. And, in all probability, by the time the mobster arrived at his ex-wife's house, the two women would indeed be in the middle of one of their many heated arguments over everything BUT what they were truly arguing about. The constant factor behind ALL of their arguments was Sonny, regardless of how the argument sounded to the untrained ear.

Without disappointing, the two women were furiously arguing with each other about Kate using the MetroCourt lobby for a photo shoot for the cover of Crimson. Elizabeth, truly only ever tolerating either of the women because of their roles in Jason's life, was standing in the middle trying to diffuse the quickly burning filament before it reached the powder keg. And clearly she was losing the battle.

"Now, why don't we just sit" Elizabeth tried, once again being cut off half sentence by Carly Jacks.

"Kate, the only reason you even have access to my hotel is because MY husband is the money behind your magazine. It was good business sense to…"

"To pick someone like me to start a magazine with if he ever wanted to make a dime. And with me, he'll make millions." Kate finished Carly's sentence.

"That's not only debatable, your ability, not my husband's business acumen, but it's ludicrous to think I would let you do this for free. We already charge way less than the entire third floor is worth for rent. Even so, I get to decide what happens in the lobby of MY very successful hotel. And you are NOT going to fill it up for a whole day with starving drug addled models and Rainbow Warrior wanna be's and Gay Pride participants."

"Carly, I don't think attacking Greenpeace and assuming all people in the fashion industry are gay is appropriate. Much less branding all models drugged addicted anorexics." Kate snidely commented while once again checking the polish on her nails, effectively breaking the last straw of Carly's thin patience.

Jason, Michael and Sonny stayed in the foyer watching the battle, each of them with worried brows. Finally, it was Jason who snapped first when Carly pushed past the petite brunette unintentionally causing her to fall back onto the couch as she made her way across the living room to stand nose to nose with Kate.

"**CARLY**" Jason shouted seeing his pregnant girlfriend bounce onto the cushion of the couch.

Wide eyed, Carly turned to the doorway to see her ex-husband and oldest son both standing at the door with their jaws dropped open and a very furious best friend stalking toward her with the look she had seen way too many times to try to count.

"Jason" Carly started whining.

"**DON'T EVEN TRY CARLY**" Jason reached the back of the couch in three long strides and crouched down to Elizabeth's level. Softly, he said to his girlfriend's profile, "Are you okay?"

Elizabeth turned fully on the couch to face him and smiled wearily, "I'm fine."

That wasn't good enough for the mob enforcer though. He studied her for a moment, raising a questioning eyebrow and then asked again, "Are you sure?"

Carly, at this point, was past the fear and guilt and rolled her eyes dramatically, "Jesus Jase, she said she's fine."

Quickly standing to his full height the blonde squared his shoulders and pierced his best friend with his crystal blue eyes. "Carly, you pushed her. Not only that, you didn't even notice that you did, or care that you are screaming and causing stress for her and the baby. MY baby." He pointed a long digit at his chest beating it twice with each word that declared possession of the unborn child. Then without a breath he continued, "You either control yourself around her from now on or I swear to you Carly…"

He left the threat hanging because honestly, no one needed to hear the finish. Mostly because everyone in the room, including the twelve year old knew that even though Jason would constantly threaten Carly through the years, their friendship never waivered. He would always be there when she needed him, he would always save her from herself and he would always, ALWAYS love and protect her.

"Elizabeth, come on. Let's get Cam and go home. We need to talk." Jason said as he reached over and picked up her purse and Cameron's backpack.

"Jason, I need to talk to you about something first." Carly interjected.

"Not now Carly" Jason fired back without looking.

"But Jason, it's important." Carly whined.

"CARLY, HE SAID NOT NOW" Sonny reiterated for Jason forcefully but not raising his voice too loudly.

"Who asked you?" Carly spit then turned to Jason again, "Jase, just let me have five minutes. The muffin won't melt."

Kate cut her off this time, "Honestly Carly. I don't know why these men put up with you. You are rude to their girlfriends; you treat them like possessions and behave despicably. You are nothing but a selfish bi…"

"**KATE" **Sonny stopped her before the word finished leaving her lips. She turned to her screaming fiancé and saw that his hand was hovering over his son's head pointing a finger downward at him and motioning with his a tilt of his head and the widening of his coal black eyes, effectively reminding her that a child was in the room. The child of the woman she was disparaging.

"**How dare you!" **Carly's hand came up, open palmed and swung hard.

Luckily Jason was watching and his quick reflexes stopped the fight from becoming physical. For now, at least.

"Sonny, you need to take control of this, NOW." Jason barked. "Elizabeth, let's go!"

Elizabeth, not really wanting to leave for the impending talk she knew was needed but she still dreaded, but also twenty minutes past being over the continuous drama between

Sonny's women, pushed herself off the couch and made a long circle around the two warring women.

Finally snapping out of her fury, Carly looked at Michael questioningly, "When did you come downstairs?"

Jason's head snapped and he groaned in frustration, "Carly, I just brought him home."

"Home from where?" Carly asked, clearly stunned that her son had left and she didn't know it.

"From the warehouse." Jason looked at Michael, seeing the pleading in his nephew's eyes and covered for him. "He called and Max came and got him for me. We spent some time at the warehouse while I was signing off on some coffee invoices."

Man, when Jason lied, he REALLY LIED.

Accepting Jason's answer because her best friend never lied, she turned back to her son, "You should have told me you were leaving."

"I did." Michael picked up the lie where his uncle left it hanging.

"I didn't hear you." She responded.

"Neither did I." Kate chimed in earning an odious glare from the blonde mother of two.

"Well, probably because you three women were too busy loudly discussing things about my personal life with Elizabeth that frankly are none of anyone's business but ours." Jason reasoned, shooting his own glare over his shoulder at his girlfriend.

An audible gasp was heard from Elizabeth as she was slowly working her way up the stairs to get Cameron

"How do you" Carly was cut off, again by her best friend.

"You need to talk to your son about eavesdropping. He heard everything you three girls discussed and has some questions about….toys." Jason tattled.

"Uncle Jason…after all I've done for you. YOU SUCK." Michael defended jutting out his bottom lip and crossing his arms over his chest, clearly hurt by the fact that his Uncle would betray him in such a manner.

"Sorry. It needed to be said. I'll make it up to you. I promise. Call me tomorrow with your demands. I'll have them filled within twenty four hours." His uncle smiled, with a wink.

Seeing that his Uncle knew exactly what he was doing the whole time. It wasn't a slip of the tongue telling his parents that he had eavesdropped. Smiling with slightly evil intent in his eyes, Michael let him off the hook. For now. The two had developed a unique relationship over the years. First as father and son, then as absent uncle, then as friend and confidante as well as uncle. Both of them shared with each other thoughts they shared with no one else. Jason used to joke that if they counted from his accident, he was really older than Michael by less than two years.

However, when it came to certain things, Jason was an adult and responsible and Michael knew that only for important things would Jason betray his confidence. And this was important. He was eavesdropping. It didn't matter that he was eavesdropping on girl talk, it mattered that he was actually doing it. He could have overheard something that could put HIM in danger. Also, regardless of how mature the boy was, he had overheard things that needed to be explained to him by his parents. First because it was dangerous to find out about such things by the internet or his friends but also because Jason, IN NO WAY, wanted to be the one to explain "sex toys" to the boy.

When Jason, Elizabeth and Cameron arrived at the penthouse, Spinelli was waiting anxiously. He had just come from the overlook where his one true love, the blonde Maximista, had shattered his romance filled heart. He immediately started blathering away about sonnets and dashed hopes and his male rite of passage and such.

Since Jason had been the one who caught Spinelli and Maxie on his couch after having sex the afternoon prior, he quickly cut off the younger man.

"Spinelli, not now." Then turning to Cameron and Elizabeth he asked, "Elizabeth, can you take Cameron upstairs for a little while. Spinelli and I need to talk."

Looking at Jason questioningly while replaying the computer genius' diatribe through her head, Jason recognized when she caught on to the reason he needed to speak to the young man privately.

"OH" she gasped, and then grabbing her little boy's hand she headed toward the stairs. "Come on Cam, why don't you and I go play Chutes and Ladders and leave Jason and Spinelli to have some grown up talk."

"Chutes and Ladders? The Jackal is the reigning champion of that game. I beseech you to wait for"

"Spinelli" Jason stopped him and quirked an eyebrow reminding him of why they needed Cameron to go upstairs with Elizabeth.

"Oh, yes…uh…Fight the good fight" Spinelli said to his toddler friend pumping a lone fist in the air "Make the Jackal proud of his protégé of all things climbing and sliding. Emerge victorious Littlest Dude."

"Okay Spinelli" Cameron responded with a smile pumping his little fist into the air mimicking his friends.

Elizabeth and Jason smiled at the interaction and Cameron's adorable mocking demonstration. Jason quickly strode over and placed a kiss to Elizabeth's forehead and patted her on the behind then whispered in her ear, "Once I'm done here, I'll get him to watch Cam and you and I will have our own alone time."

He then pulled back and gave her a sexy smile and a quick wink. Elizabeth smiled back and gave a girly giggle then waddled up the stairs with her son.

Once he heard the door close to Cameron's bedroom, Jason walked to the couch and bent to sit, then wrinkled his nose and stood back up.

"You know, I cannot even bring myself to sit on this couch. I would appreciate it in the future if you and Maxie would choose a more private place to…uh…you know."

Beet red, the younger man plopped down on the couch and studied it, absently brushing off the seat beside him and said, "I suppose the cost to replace the Master's davenport will assuredly be garnished from my wages."

"You got that one right." Jason announced then pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down. "Now, what was it you were saying about Maximi…Maxie breaking your heart?"

"Oh Stonecold, earlier when I told you that my lovely blonde fashionista that carries the key to my heart had wanted to talk to me, I regrettably mistook her attentions for desire to reenact our escapades of oneness. Alas, she was but wanting to let me down easy for her heart is not full of carnal desire as is mine. Her emotional attachment to me is of a friendly nature where as mine is more of wonton desire to coupling."

"Let me get this straight. Maxie wanted to talk to you about having had sex and you thought she wanted to continue having sex but she wants to be your friend."

"Stonecold you are wise beyond your years. You are correct and I don't understand. I thought Maximista and the Jackal had moved to a higher echelon in our budding romance."

"Well, I think you have. Clearly my couch is proof of your and Maxie's relationship moving to a new level. What exactly did she say that leads you to believe otherwise?"

"She apologized for taking advantage of the Jackal."

Leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his knees and raising his eyebrow, Jason asked, "_Did_ she take advantage of you?"

"OH NO!" Spinelli stood, wiping his hand down the front of his shirt. "The Jackal was hers for the taking. I have loved the beautiful blonde one for quite some time. I have just been waiting for her to oneday return my affections. And she did. But then she didn't. Master, please expound some of your vast wisdom for your grasshopper truly does not understand the inner workings of the female mind."

Jason looked up the stairs then smiled. Shaking his head, "No man does Spinelli. Did she say why she thought she was taking advantage of you?"

"She is afraid that our lovemaking will ruin our friendship. See yesterday, there was no indication that…what happened would happen any time soon but she was upset. Anthony Zacharra had scared her and she came to me for comfort. She feels safe with me Stonecold. ME." He pointed to himself with a shy grin. "She never even asked where YOU were. But then things progressed and the next thing I know, I am spiraling into an abyss of ecstasy and"

"I DON'T WANT DETAILS, PLEASE" Jason stopped him raising his hand for the younger man to stop.

"Sorry" Spinelli sunk back onto the couch and twisted in his weird way that he does all things, burying his head in the back cushion then turning so that one eye was opened and looking at Jason.

"It's okay but you and I have to make a new rule now that you are…well…active. I DON'T WANT DETAILS."

"The Jackal is happy to oblige Stonecold's request."

"Good" Jason stood and rubbed a hand over his face then turned back to his young protégé. "It sounds like Maxie is worried that because you two are having sex, it will ruin your friendship. I've known Maxie all of her life. She doesn't have many friends. Mostly from her own doings but still…Maybe what she needs from you is to take a small step back right now to emphasize the fact that you are her friend first. Then you can get back to…" he twirled his hand in a circular motion pointing down at the couch.

"The Master, once again, is right. Through all things, I shall remain her friend. I just need to reinforce that belief so that she can open her heart to the Jackal's abiding love for her. I shall go now to tell her just that."

He moved toward the door but Jason stopped him by pinching his shoulder and sitting him down into the desk chair. "No, right now I need you to babysit Cam while Elizabeth and I spend some time together."

"But Master, that's ALL you two do anymore." Spinelli wiggled his own eyebrows.

"To talk, Spinelli. Elizabeth and I need to clear some things up. I need you to stay and play with Cameron tonight while Elizabeth and I go have dinner together. We may be late getting home so…don't make any plans."

"Your wish is my command." His young counterpart nodded.

"Thank you." Jason replied patting the boy on the back. "Call Maxie and invite her over for dinner and board games with you and Cameron. That way you can prove to her that you cherish her friendship. Cam will be here so things can't get out of hand. Oh, and when I get back, you and Maxie can explain to me exactly why Anthony Zacharra is scarring her."

"I shall do just that Master." Spinelli reached in his pocket, pulling his phone out and dialing.


	30. Chapter 30

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 30

"Elizabeth, it seems we have done a lot of talking but neither one of us has done a lot of listening." Jason put another bite of steak into his mouth with onions dangling off.

"No, it's like I just said Jason…we…I think we just have…"

"If you say different goals in life again, I swear Elizabeth I am going to stab my own hand with this steak knife to keep it from throttling you." He cut her off in a growl.

"Well I don't think there's any reason for you to be nasty Jason." She pouted, incredulous at his first time ever admitting to wanting to physically harm her due to her frustrating behavior.

She had rattled on about how different they were through out the car ride. Then she moved on to how unfair it was for her to expect a bachelor to even want a woman with a four year old to insinuate herself into his life so prominently as she had done while they awaited their table at the Metro-Court bar. Finally they were seated and she began discussing how his lifestyle was innately not suited for a family over appetizers. Now she had been blabbering for the past twenty minutes about how she wanted _this _in her life and he wanted _that_. It was maddening and she knew it. She just was too afraid to hear what he had to say about the matter at hand. The matter of _them_ and _their _relationship.

Finally pulling himself together with a few calm, slow breaths, Jason set the fork and knife down on either side of his china plate and rested his closed fists on the table in front of him. He needed to just shut her up so he could speak but every time he tried to, she interrupted him and went off on tangents that he, personally did not understand. Not that he didn't comprehend, he did. He just didn't understand why she was saying it.

He had always been the one pushing her for more. He wanted her to stay at Disney to get to know each other. He wanted her to make love to him. He wanted to fly out to Colorado to see her. He wanted to take her to his penthouse and keep her there. He wanted Elizabeth and Cameron to move in with him. He wanted to become the father figure in Cameron's life and HE was the one that was truly excited about having this baby. Where in all of that did she get that he didn't want her and Cam and the life that they were building together?

She had merely given in when she couldn't stave him off any longer in all of those instances. He was always the aggressor in their life, why was she acting like she had forced herself on him. Hell, he was even the one that, at one point, told her that he wanted to be a family and have children of their own.

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't been listening as she prattled on and on about how her Grandmother had told her that men like Jason were a fantasy. They could never last because they were too good to be true. Not that her Gram's had been talking specifically about Jason at the time but that men who were so devoted were few and far between. She continued that she would always be grateful for the time that they had together and think of their past eight months as the most wonderful days of her life.

It was when she said she would never keep him from his child that he was pulled from his thoughts of all the times he had expressed how much he wanted her, "Marry Me"

"What?" she asked as her eyes darted around the room, wide and she pushed herself away from the table.

"Marry me" he said again, this time more aggressively.

"Jason, you don't know what…you're just…ugh I can't believe you just said that." She tossed her napkin onto her half eaten plate of Seared Ahi Tuna with sautéed baby vegetables. All of it smothered in A-1 Steak Sauce.

Elizabeth stalked away from the table and headed for the private balcony off of the restaurant's bar that looked out over the water from atop the high-rise. Jason followed her, catching the waiter to let him know where they would be and not to clear their plates. Once he reached the doorway, he could see her shoulders shaking. Not shaking from the cold but shaking from violent sobs. Letting out a loud breath he scrubbed his face with the palm of his hand, twice for good measure and the bounded, determinedly toward her.

"Elizabeth…"

"Don't Jason. I know why you asked and really…it's embarrassing more than anything."

"Embarrassing? How is me asking you to marry me embarrassing? If anything, the way you stomped away as if I had just asked you to murder my grandfather instead of asking you to spend the rest of your life as Mrs. Jason Morgan, I should be the one who is embarrassed."

"You only asked me because of what Michael overheard. Besides, you didn't really ask me. You TOLD me."

"What?...JESUS ELIZABETH…what the hell do you want from me? I've asked you to marry me before. I've pleaded with you to be part of my life since the day I met you. I have chased you around town, hell practically across the country. I have completely changed my life because **I** wanted to, not because you asked me to. Actually, I practically had to fight **you** half the time. You are the one that's never sure, thinking it's a mistake. So I backed off, giving you space to get where I have been since the day I met you. Now you are telling me that you think _**I **_am not ready for this and I am only doing it because of what _**YOU**_ said. Okay, so I didn't say pretty please with sugar and honey on top, does that mean I forced you into something you don't want? _WILL YOU marry me?_ Is that better?"

She was fully engulfed in tears at this point. He was angry, REALLY angry and she was the cause of it. This was not how he envisioned this night going. AT ALL.

He reached out for her and she took a step back. Her slight flinch as she pulled away from him stabbed him like a knife to the chest. He reclaimed the step but lowered his hands down to his sides.

"Look, I love you. I thought you knew that. I don't know anything about what you have been saying all night because you are describing two people that I don't even recognize. Whoever they are, Elizabeth, they aren't us. We may be different but we are not polar opposites. We like to spend time together and with Cameron. OUR SON. Not your son Elizabeth, OURS. I don't care about biology when it comes to him; I love him and want to be his father. YOU are the one always pushing me away but I thought we had gotten past that. I thought you accepted me and my life and wanted you and Cam to be a part of it."

"I do but…wait…you never asked me to marry you before."

"Yes I have"

"NO . Jason…you haven't"

"I…yes I have Elizabeth. I asked you to marry me when…" hands on his hips in defiant protest she watched as he searched his brain. He shook away the many instances where he told Sonny or Carly or even Spinelli he wanted to marry her, he covered all the times he had mumbled about it into her hair as she slept in his arms. He even remembered the conversation with Cameron where Cameron finally told him that he and Jason could BOTH marry his mommy but he could not come up with one single instance where he had actually even mentioned the word to the beautiful brunette.

"See. And that's fine Jason. I don't want to push you. I would never want to marry someone who was doing it out of obligation. I just…I want more but I'll get over it. I mean, millions of people nowadays are having children and raising families without being legally joined in matrimony."

"Elizabeth"

"Honestly, it's an antiquated institution anyway. There's no real REASON for it anymore. I mean, I could easily draw up legal documents through Diane or Alexis without having to have you as my husband where the kids are concerned. Well, at least your baby."

"Elizabeth"

"I mean, I would never force Cameron on you if you didn't want him. If something were to happen to me, Cam would go to my brother I guess…although I hate to think of him not being with his brother or sister but…"

"Elizabeth"

"And if something happened to you…well, I know you would have seen to it to provide for your child. I don't have to be married to you to know that you would…well…make sure we were all taken care of."

"Elizabeth"

"And…we already live like a family. No piece of paper can change things to make"

Jason kissed her. He hauled her to his body and shut her up with his lips. It was really the only way to do it no matter how much it made him look like a Neanderthal. She just would not shut up. And she was rambling ridiculously about how marriage suddenly meant nothing.

He felt it when she finally melted. She became more pliable and he had to steady her with his arms wrapping around her waist. Her tongue moved with his as they explored each other mouths and their arms held each other close. Then he felt it. The little minx was turned on and this innocent kiss to stop her tongue from catching fire from rapid movement with insane thoughts that were not being filtered from brain to lip, was now getting hot and bothered and….

"Elizabeth, NOT HERE" he barked his command as he brushed her hands away from his half undone belt buckle.

"I want you Jason." She purred and he could see the black of her pupils eclipsing the sapphire blue of her irises.

"That's another thing I want to discuss with you. There's a lot I have to say Elizabeth. First about our current sex life. Then about the rest. I want to get things cleared up between us. There's too much misconception on your part. Maybe it's the hormones or just your ridiculously over active imagination. And I know I'm quiet and let you carry the conversation usually, but I need to have my say. But I can't if you don't stop playing grab ass and shut up and let me talk."

"YOU ARE AN ASS!" she pistoned away from his arms and even gave him a right elbow to the gut before she stalked away from him, clearly upset.

Then, as if all time stood still, she gasped and grabbed for her stomach and both of them forgot what they were upset about as they focused in on her stomach, more importantly _their_ child.

"What is it?" Jason asked, fear lacing each word as he hurried the three steps toward her.

"I…" she bent over slightly and placed her other hand on top of the one already pressed to her belly.

"WHAT? Are you having pain? What is it Elizabeth? Is if the baby?" he practically yelled as he placed one hand at the small of her back and one hand over both of hers, protectively over her stomach. He set a wide stance in case he needed to catch her or lift her up into his arms.

"It kicked. The baby…I think it kicked. Here…" she pulled her hands from under his and pressed his hand into the side of her belly.

Jason's eyes widened as he felt a kind of flutter under his palm. He could not describe the feeling but in that instance, he knew it was a feeling, laced with pride and awe, that he would never EVER forget. His smile grew from the deep frown and Elizabeth watched as his eyes danced. His breath hitched each time he felt it and tears rapidly fell down her cheeks as she could see the deep love in them.

"Yes" she said in a whisper.

"Yes what?" he asked, not even truly paying attention to what she was saying. His eyes were dancing with delight and he kept his hand pressed in the same spot hoping to feel the flutter again. He was looking off into space as if he was somewhere else and she knew where he was. He was with their child. Bonding.

"I'll marry you."

"Good… I don't feel it anymore. Can you? What happened?"

"Jason"

"What?" He finally looked down at her and frowned as he saw her tear stained cheeks. He lifted his hand from her back and used his thumb to wipe away the tears. His one hand remained firmly planted on her stomach and was moving slightly to see if he could feel the flutters again. "Why are you crying?"

"Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Yeah, you said….um…you said…it kicked. You said the baby kicked."

"And you didn't hear anything after that?" she asked as she gave pity on him and moved his hand across to the other side of her belly where she could feel light tremors from the baby.

Once again he felt the flutter and he was back in that place where she wasn't invited. Just him and his child, sharing daddy and baby time.

She'd simply wait him out. The baby would stop soon and they couldn't stand on the balcony forever.

Finally, when the baby had settled down, she pulled his hand from her abdomen and he felt the loss immediately. Not wanting to lose the moment completely, he pulled her into his chest so that her belly pressed up against his groin. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her so tight around her shoulders and neck he actually heard her breathing struggle slightly. He let loose of his tight grip and pulled back just enough so that he could look into her eyes.

"I love you Elizabeth. I don't want any other life than the one we have created, together, all of us. And I don't care what other people in society do these days. I want the mother of my child to share my name as well as my life. Legally and in the eyes of God. I want to adopt Cameron, if you'll let me and I want to build our life from there. I'm sorry I haven't asked you before. Honestly, I have had it in my brain for so long, I think I have convinced myself that I DID ask and you turned me down. But I'm asking you now Elizabeth. Please, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and gracing me with the responsibility of becoming Cameron's father, legally?"

"Yes" she said simply.

It was Monday and the museum was closed. Even though it was so close to Christmas, Mr. Rigby still let Elizabeth have Sunday and Monday off from the museum because she needed the rest. With the holiday season came heavier traffic through the museum from the rich trying to buy some unique pieces of art to give for gifts. Jason normally took the day off with her and they spent quiet time together relaxing in front of the TV or shopping for their family and friends on the internet, just how Spinelli had showed them. However, Cameron stayed home from pre-school today and he and Jason had left right after breakfast because they had some things they had to do that morning.

Jason had decided that he wasn't waiting for their marriage to get the adoption proceedings going. Elizabeth didn't want to get married the size of a cow, which Jason clearly didn't understand because she still looked tiny even though she clearly had a five month baby bump in front of her. And to him, she didn't feel like she had even gained five pounds which he knew was actually fifteen because he had attended all of her doctor's appointments with her except for the one when he was out of town on _business. _Elizabeth, on the other hand, felt like she was putting two hundred extra pounds on her ankles and feet. Aside from work, she would barely move once she got home.

Jason had re-hired the maid that Elizabeth had insisted they didn't need when she and Cameron moved in and was picking up the slack where the rest was concerned. Jason and Spinelli were keeping up with Cameron and Spinelli, to everyone's surprise, was taking on the cooking and grocery shopping chores with gusto.

Actually, it was more Maxie than Spinelli but ever since their relationship had matured to a physical level and he had given her the space she needed to come to terms with it, they were inseparable and fast becoming the fifth and sixth family members. Elizabeth had even grown accustomed to using the PDA that Spinelli gave her to text items to add to the grocery list and send it to both Spinelli and Maxie. When she would get home from work each night, the two young lovebirds would be in the kitchen preparing healthy meals for the entire brood and even carving fun shapes out of meat, potatoes and especially vegetables to get Cameron to expand his palette.

Elizabeth and Jason had begun seriously looking for a bigger place and Spinelli was moved beyond words when his "Master" had asked him if he would rather have a room in the house or would rather they look for a place with mother in law quarters or a guest house for him. Elizabeth was excited for all of her men to get home because while they were out, Jason with Cameron on their secret mission and Spinelli on a trip to the store to pick up more A-1 Steak Sauce, Elizabeth had found the perfect house for all of them.

It was a Tudor style house in an upper class neighborhood that was not gated. Jason and his business didn't afford the luxury of a gated community because, unless you owned the guards at the gates, you were vulnerable to their acute recordkeeping of comings and goings. Besides, a gated community was too big to take quiet ownership of and they didn't have time to build their own in an undeveloped part of town. The house was actually near the Quartermaine estate but it was far enough away that 'the old man', as Jason called him, could not come wandering over at any given time. It was at least a mile and a half away even though there was only one house between them.

The house was two stories with a pool house. It had a stone wall surrounding the property that was at least four acres. The driveway was long and tree lined and ended with a circular drive surrounding a beautiful pond with a fountain. The fountain and the ledge surrounding the man made pond was made of the same variegated brown stones as the property wall, the house and the walkway and steps that led to the double stained glass doors of the front entrance.

The main L shaped house of dark wood and wrought iron accents was a four bedroom, four and a half bath boasting two fireplaces. As Elizabeth took the virtual web-tour she became increasingly excited at all of its features. The formal dining room and living room separated by the main entrance were quaint but could easily fit a table for eight and a sofa and love seat respectively. Past the foyer there was a small area between barrier walls that opened up to the three stairs that led down to the family room and could easily be a place for a couple of desks and could be a computer area for Spinelli's massive networking system. The walls on either side housed two sets of split level stairs leading to the second story.

From the foyer, if you went to the left there was the kitchen entrance to the right and to the left a large laundry room with cabinets, counter top, a large deep utility sink and a smaller refrigerator on one side of the wall and the area for the washer and dryer on the other side was separated by a cabinet that was designed to hold all of the various cleaning products. At the far end of the room was the door to the three car garage. Straight ahead was a small office she could use as a studio because of the natural lighting. It looked to be an addition to the house and two walls and half of the ceiling was windows.

Once you walked into the kitchen, there was a wall of bay windows lined with countertops and lower cabinets and book ended by the refrigerator and a large pantry. It had a center island with a double sink and a dishwasher. The opposite wall held more cabinets, a large stove and a double oven. All of the cabinets were dark wood and the countertops were all a light brown marble that looked to match the floor. The fourth wall at the back of the house was opened up with space for a small kitchen table on one side and more counter space and cabinets jutting out from the other side with a breakfast bar that could hold four bar stools. Separating the table area from the breakfast bar were another three stairs that led down to the family room.

A half bath and the large family room were centered between the kitchen and the Master bedroom and had a large stone fireplace. The wall opening up to the back yard was all glass and French doors that opened up to a large screened porch. The master bedroom also had a fireplace and was on the first floor on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen. It was huge and took up the entire right side of the house. It had a bathroom that was the size of Elizabeth and Cameron's apartment in Colorado with a jet garden tub and shower stall built for two with seating. It had two walk in closets and its own private porch that had access to the back yard or the other porch but also had a private Jacuzzi. It too, had another door that opened up to the family room with identical stair entrance as the foyer and the kitchen held.

The set of stairs that were nearest the master bedroom led to three sizeable bedrooms. One of the upstairs bedrooms was slightly larger with its own private bath. Then there was a large double sink bathroom between the two others rooms upstairs. The other set of stairs nearest the kitchen led to what the virtual tour called a playroom with a small hotel sized bathroom attached with only a sink, toilet and shower stall. Elizabeth guessed it was the size of her and Jason's master bedroom in the penthouse and was located above the three car garage. The stairs to the playroom were inside the house but there was also a private balcony on the back that led into the side yard with its own private staircase. That she guessed could easily be Spinelli's room if he didn't want the pool house.

Finally, the back yard was split into three. First, in the center was a fenced in underground pool and spa with a small two room, one bath bungalow on the opposite side of it. Then there was a large grass area which was also fenced in separately where the kids would be able to play and it had a huge tree that she knew would be big enough to build a tree fort in for Cameron. Finally the third area was a wonderful garden with a gazebo that actually led off of the side of the house from the master bedroom. In all, it was everything they could need or want.

The web-tour of the bungalow showed that two rooms and a bath literally meant two rooms and a bath. It was a one bedroom house basically. The bathroom could be entered from both the bedroom or the living room kitchen combination area and the kitchen could better be described as a kitchenette. However, it would be perfect as a guest house or Spinelli's house if he preferred the privacy of a separate living space.

It was over just over thirty-eight hundred square feet of bliss with an additional six hundred fifty square foot pool house and it was ready to move into immediately.

Elizabeth had already called their realtor to see if they could have an actual tour that afternoon and she had called back to say they should all meet the owner there at two o'clock. Now all Elizabeth had to do was wait for Jason and Spinelli to get home and show them the house.

It was a matter of semantic, really. Jason wouldn't care where they lived or even how much it cost and Spinelli would think it was "awesome". However, since they were all going to be living there, she wanted their opinion.

If things worked out, they could be living in their new home by Christmas when her Grams came to visit.


	31. Chapter 31

Counting to Ten

Counting to Ten

Chapter 31

The limousine turned into the drive and Pete rolled down the driver's window to punch in the security code to the gate. Audrey leaned up to look through the partition glass and her eyes widened at the sight of the house up ahead. She started to speak when something caught her eye in her peripheral vision.

Turning to look at the sign that hung from the matching wrought iron pole, she gasped.

"Elizabeth, is that…" she leaned to get closer to the door window and looked again. "It is…Elizabeth, dear…"

Elizabeth let out a light chuckle. She didn't even need to hear what was coming from her grandmother's mouth next. She remembered a week ago…the day they moved in.

Elizabeth had bought all new furniture and fixtures for the house except for Jason's pool table and desk and chair and the furniture in Cameron's room. When they moved in, the house was fully decorated and all they needed to bring was their personal items. Jason had taken Elizabeth and Cameron on a short trip the day before they were to move in so that she could pick out the design and wood to be used for their baby's nursery furniture. Jason had Spinelli research online and found a man that hand carves baby furniture. Elizabeth was so touched at Jason's thoughtful gift. She was even more touched when they returned to discover that Jason had also had everything moved into their new home and unpacked while they were away.

When they pulled up to the gate, Jason asked why there was a new pole outside the gate and Elizabeth informed him that Spinelli had named their new property because the realtor said you were supposed to do that with estates. After Jason grumbled under his breath about the Quartermaine estate being named the House of Pain then changed his mind and called it The Quarterinsane Asylum, Elizabeth rolled her eyes and informed him that she and Spinelli made a sign.

When they got to the house, Elizabeth called to Spinelli who was in the kitchen verifying that it was stocked with his favorite tasty treats. The four walked down to the gate with the sign Spinelli was carrying that was still covered with the cloth.

When Elizabeth removed the cloth and Spinelli hung the sign, everyone laughed except Jason. To be fair, Cameron didn't know why he was laughing because he couldn't read but his Mommy and Spinelli were laughing and that was enough to put the little boy into giggle fits.

"You think that's funny?" Jason asked as he scooped the little boy whose name was now Cameron Webber Morgan into his arms and then slung him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

"YES" Cameron yelled from behind Jason's back. "The sign is funny Daddy"

Jason looked at Elizabeth and gave his best disapproving glare however her bright smile made it hard to remain stoic. He then turned to Spinelli, "This is your fault."

"The Jackal does not know what you mean Sto…uh…Master" Spinelli twisted his arms in front of him trying to keep the smirk from his face but his eyes told Jason that the boy was dying to let out a deep laugh.

Turning his attention back to his son, he lifted the boy to hold him at eye level. "Well, if the sign is so funny Cam, what does it say?"

"I don't know. I can't read but Mommy and Spinelli said it was funny and that it's more funny because you WON'T think it's funny."

"Oh they did huh?" Jason asked looking at the two cohorts.

Spinelli finished hooking the wooden sign into the hooks hanging from the pole and turned on his heel, linked arms with Elizabeth and whispered, "We better retreat swiftly before he pummels us."

Both quickly walked away while laughing and Cameron squirmed in his newly adopted father's arms to get down and chase them back to the house.

Jason stood staring at the sign with a frown firmly planted on his face. He found nothing remotely funny about the sign. In fact, he found the sign quite maddening. However, as he watched his fiancé, his newly adopted son and his…brother? Protégé? Friend?...aw hell, he didn't know WHAT to call Spinelli, he smiled. They were happy and enjoyed the joke in the sign that he didn't think was funny. It didn't hurt anyone but if it was going to stay, he would need to put his own personal touch to it.

Reaching behind him and pulling his Glock from the hem of his worn jeans, he released the safety, held up his always steady arm and took two quick shots.

"Perfect" he said as he re-holstered his gun and turned to see his three roommates all facing him.

He then glanced back at the sign and let out his own deep laughter. The sign, made of the same wood that matched the accents of the house and hand painted by Elizabeth with the name that there was no doubt Spinelli had come up with.

_**CASA DE STONE COLD**_

Elizabeth had drawn two bullseyes on the sign in the two O's . They thought they were funny. Even though Jason did not find any humor in the name bestowed on their new house nor did he find the bullseyes to be particularly hilarious, the fact that he just took two shots consecutively and hit both bullseyes dead center even though the second shot had to account for the fact that the first shot caused the sign to move, Jason did find that somewhat funny. After all these years, **he** was still the best marksman he'd ever seen. It was his own personal warning to those that entered his family's estate. And THAT was the humor that Jason "Stone Cold" Morgan found in the sign that tickled his roommates so.

Jason wasn't going to let the little joke die. The next day, Jason sent Spinelli out on a mission that would take up the whole day. After their first night in the house, Spinelli announced that he 'did not feel the warmth of the Casa De Stone Cold' from the pool house. He also said he 'feared the strange sounds and wished to be under the very roof of his master for a peaceful slumber.'

After Jason groaned, Elizabeth asked him what Spinelli was talking about.

"He's a wuss and the pool house is too scary for him so he wants to move into the house with us." Jason replied raising an arched brow at Spinelli who lowered himself to his knees and crawled over to Elizabeth while Jason was explaining his protégé's dilemma.

"Please Maternal One, I'll be so quiet. I'll help with Cameron and the new baby and I'll clean up after myself. I promise you won't even know that I'm here. I guarantee tranquility and.." Spinelli continued, hands clasped in prayer in front of him.

"Spinelli, GET UP!" Jason's voice rose after turning back from refilling his coffee cup and he noticed that Spinelli was now hugging his fiancé's legs repeating the word 'Please'

With a lot of prodding from Elizabeth and final approval with a big "Please Daddy" from Cameron, Jason relented and allowed the strange young man back into the house.

With conditions.

"You have to agree to watch the kids as long as you live here at least one night a week so that Elizabeth and I can have a 'Date Night'." Jason started ticking each condition off with his fingers.

"Done" Spinelli promised easily.

"Also you have to cook that chicken dish you and Maxie made the other night...you know, the one I liked that Cameron also ate. Once a week." Jason ticked a second finger.

"That's Maximista's creation." Spinelli protested.

"I don't care. It's either that or you stay in the pool house." Jason said wagging a finger at his young friend.

"I'll implore the beautiful blonde to school me in the clucking casserole creation." Spinelli sunk into the chair at the table next to his toddler friend who clapped and agreed with his Daddy that the Chicken Cheese Casserole was yummy.

Jason walked over and wrapped his one arm around Elizabeth and placed a protective hand on her bulging belly. He 'hmmm'ed in her ear as he laid his chin on her shoulder. "Anything you want babe?"

"I think this is ridiculous. Spinelli, you are more than welcome to come pick a room in the house to be yours. Jason, you are just being cruel. And you are not going to make Spinelli do any of those things you just said." Elizabeth responded in admonishment as she pulled from Jason's arms.

She cocked a disapproving eyebrow at Jason and then turned to Cameron, "Eat up, we need to get you to daycare. And no more of this Jason. I mean it."

"Now wait a minute. I get to say who lives in my house. We offered and Spinelli took the pool house. I don't have to let him back in the main house just because he's a scared little girl." Jason started to protest.

"Ooooooh Mommy's gonna get mad." Cameron spoke up and no sooner than he did, Elizabeth stalked back to her fiancé with a fist raised.

"Jason Morgan YOU STOP BEING MEAN! And don't call him names."

"I didn't" he started in his defense. He really hadn't. He may have referred to his behavior in an unflattering manner but he hadn't actually called the boy a name.

"He looks up to you and looks to you for protection. You should be flattered that someone thinks so highly of you. Now tell him he has a room in the house." She demanded, hands on swelled hips.

"Oh Maternal One, please don't get upset over me. I revel in the Master's requests. I am honored that you would entrust the wee one and the innocent one in my care one day a week. It would be fun and I could teach Young Cameron how to set up his own website. He could have a Mini My Space and when the innocent one is sleeping, we can play Freddie Fish on the Wii. The Tenacious Toddler is quite stealthy on Nintendo's physically challenging gaming system. And I don't mind nourishing this," he swept his arm around the room to be sure to point out each person, "my family."

"OH PLEASE" Jason growled as he cradled his slowly pulsing headache in his hand.

"I am sure I only caught half of that but I don't want Cameron on My Space and you need to remember he's five if you are going to teach him how to use a computer. I know what Freddie Fish is and yes, he is getting really good at that game but Spinelli, you don't live with us because we need a babysitter or a cook. It's like you said, we ARE a family. And YOU…" she poked Jason in the chest. "You be nice."

"ME? I am nice. I have given the kid a place to live, rent free. I feed him and I pay him an excellent salary. OH, and I pay for all the charges from that internet computer and gaming store. And I'll have you know, that laptop he carries?...That thing cost me a fortune! AND HE HAS TWO OF THEM." Jason raised his arms in exasperation.

He wasn't yelling so much as making sure he didn't turn out to be the bad guy in this scenario. Honestly, he didn't think having a weekly 'date night' would have been a problem. And Cam liked the casserole too. Yet Elizabeth turned on him. His own woman was defending the boy-man to him. "I would think I should be able to get my money's worth out of the kid. As my employee AND my babysitter and cook. But you know what?...Fine. He moves into the main house. He babysits only on occasion if we ask him and he and Maxie cook only if they WANT to help out around here. Are you happy?"

Smiling, she gave him a wink. "Very" she responded and he knew he had been had. She didn't care if Spinelli agreed to all of those things. She just wasn't going to let him win. Something told Jason that suddenly, the house had become three against one. He'd never get Cam. The boy hung on his mother's words and repeatedly reminded Jason and Spinelli of the time out chair if they did something he thought Elizabeth wouldn't like. And of course there was Spinelli, always agreeing with Elizabeth regardless of the circumstance. Sure, he could give Spinelli one look and the boy would melt into a puddle of goo on the floor but he noticed that lately, the boy would stand his ground more than usual. Only when Elizabeth was present and always while standing behind her.

"Okay you win but I do ask one thing…" Jason set up. They get to win this battle but HE is Jason Morgan. He always wins the war.

"What's that honey?" she asked as she turned to grab her purse from the counter and tugged the half eaten bowl of cereal from in front of a disinterested Cameron. He'd eaten his entire banana and half of the bowl of Cheerios so he was probably full and their discussion was too much fun for the boy to pay attention to breakfast anyway.

"I get to pick the room. And since we've already decorated all of them, I'll call Carly over to do something really quick. Spinelli can move into his room tonight. Fair?" He asked as he turned back to the coffee pot so the group didn't see the sinister smile creeping across his face.

"Sounds fair to me but don't put him in the room that's painted light yellow. That's the nursery. I want to get started sketching the Disney characters this weekend. Spinelli is either in the play room above the garage or in the large room at the top of the stairs. Okay?"

"Fine with me." He said then needing to change the subject, "You aren't planning to do any painting in the nursery before you have the baby are you?"

"Oh no, the fumes would be horrible and could harm the baby. He or she will be in the bassinette in our room for the first month so I'll have time to fill in the characters with color then." She replied then stood on the tip of her toes and pulled Jason down with her hand on his shoulder to kiss him goodbye. "I love you."

"I love you too babe. I'll see you tonight." He agreed and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as the baby would allow. "Be careful"

She winked and grabbed onto Cameron's little hand and strode out to the garage where Pete was waiting for them.

"Spinelli, I need you to go down to the warehouse and set up a mirrored system to Stanley's. I want you spearheading this project and I want all new cameras and equipment. It's time the Warehouse was updated, security wise, before something bad happens to prove you have been slacking. I already have to defend you to Sonny all the time. Go prove your worth." He said, sipping at his coffee while cautiously eyeing the young man for any signs of hesitation. Seeing none, he went to pad out of the kitchen.

"Stonecold?" Spinelli stopped him. Jason turned around but kept silent. This was enough recognition for Spinelli to continue, "Between us dudes, I agree to adhere to all of your demands. The Maternal One won't even have to know. She is like a mother cub right now. She is nesting and feeling restless toward any evildoer. I think sometimes….well maybe 'tis but a fair dream of the Jackal's but…I believe I too am considered a cub."

Feeling slightly guilty, Jason dropped his hand down from his chest and placed the coffee cup on the counter. Leaning a jean clad hip against the center island, Jason let out a sigh. "I think you are right Spinelli. Elizabeth does think of you as one of her own. And I…"he stopped and thought long and hard before putting his thoughts out there for the world to know, "I think of you as family too."

Spinelli sprung from the chair and lurched across the room arms spread wide and attempted to hug his Master, "You care. I'm family. I'm like…your son! No wait! I'm like your younger sibling."

Jason grabbed onto Spinelli's arms and pushed outward, steadying the boy before letting go. "No, you are NOT my son but you are like a brother to me. BUT, what have I told you about touching me."

"Not to." The computer hacker bowed his head as he did his strange body twist that made Jason grimace.

"Exactly, now get going. I'll make sure everything is moved to your new room by the time you get home tonight."

With that, Spinelli ran from the kitchen, first picking up his trusty laptop and bolted for the garage door where his Mini-Cooper that Jason bought him last Christmas was waiting.

Jason then turned to the counter and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing a familiar number, he waited.

"Hello?"

"Carly? I have a project for you. How would you like to help me get revenge on a couple of people?"

Squealing, Jason could just see his best friend jumping up and down, "Who is it? Is it someone I don't like anyway because there really are so many to choose from?"

Cameron and Jason had just come downstairs. Cameron was in his Power Rangers pajamas because it was Wednesday. Jason was lying on the couch with his head in Elizabeth's lap. Cameron was on Jason's chest facing outward and Jason was holding a book while Cameron turned the pages and Elizabeth recited the words on the pages from memory. It's been Cameron's favorite book for three years and someone has read it to him every night, most of the time it was her so it was burned into her memory forever.

"The sun did not shine

It was too wet to play

So we sat in that house

All that cold, cold wet day

I sat there with Sally

We sat there we two

And I said How I wish

We had something to do

Too wet to go out and

Too cold to play ball

So we sat in the house

And did nothing at all

And all we could do

Was to sit, sit, sit, sit

And we did not like it

Not one little bit.

And then something went bump

And that bump made us jump…"

As soon as she said it, Spinelli bounded into the family room through the kitchen. He placed his trusty laptop on the table and hurried over to sit next to Elizabeth.

"Oh goody, I have not missed the nightly reading of the timeless classic The Cat in the Hat." He said as he bounced onto the seat, quickly kicking off his shoes and pulling his feet up under him.

"Spinelli, SHHH Mommy's at the part where the Cat in the Hat comes in." Cameron said, rolling over on Jason's chest and putting a finger to his lips. Spinelli mimicked his action and winked. "Okay Mommy, go ahead."

Cameron then rolled back over, accidentally kicking Jason where it hurts the most and The Enforcer let out a gasp and a moan but when Cam turned his sad eyes up to his father, he smiled and kissed his forehead, "It's okay Cam, you didn't hurt Daddy but be careful with those feet okay Buddy?"

"Okay Daddy. Go ahead Mommy, we're all ready. Right Spinelli?"

"Ready and anxiously awaiting my favorite part." The computer hacker announced.

"Up Up Up with the Fish" Cameron said loudly and everyone laughed.

"You ready too Daddy?"

"Yep, ready." Jason announced.

"Okay, where was I?" Elizabeth asked and leaned over and looked at the book.

"Oh yes, ummm….And then Something went bump, how that bump made us jump….."

After the story was finished, Cameron jumped down from the couch to go potty and brush his teeth. Jason remained on the couch with Elizabeth, offering to go for her to tuck him into bed in the agreed upon ten minutes. Elizabeth was complaining of her newfound pregnancy woes….swollen ankles.

"Hey, which room is mine? The one above the garage or the one at the top of the stairs before Cam's room and the nursery." Spinelli asked suddenly remembering about their morning and realizing all of his stuff was moved to a different room. Of his master's choice.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. How did that go today?" Elizabeth asked running her fingers through Jason's spiky hair.

Clearing his throat, Jason covered his mouth to hide the evil grin forming on his chiseled face. "Uh…it went fine. Spinelli, your room is at the top of the stairs. I put you there because that will be one more barrier before someone could get to my kids. I expect you to protect them and always consider their well being first in this house."

"Oh, of course Stonecold. The Jackal will always shield the Tenacious Toddler and the Innocent One from evildoers. The malevolent forces of nature would have to tear my limbs from my body before I would allow them to lay a sinister digit on the Master and Maternal Ones offspring." He stood and went to pick up his army green computer bag. "I shall retire to my new room to adjust all things Jackal to my liking."

As he headed up the stairs, Jason turned his head and started talking into Elizabeth's belly. He was rubbing her stomach and speaking directly onto her bulge.

"Okay baby, remember….Daddy loves you so much. I probably won't be able to have our chats as often because Mommy will be mad at Daddy but I promise, I'll be back soon. Mommy can't stay mad at Daddy forever. Just remember how much I love you while I'm gone."

He kissed her belly and sat up to face her.

"What's going on and what was that talk all about? Where are you going and why will I be mad?" She asked, confusion wrinkling her face.

"Just wait for it." Jason said with a smile and he leaned in to kiss her lips.

She accepted his kiss and then watched as he bent back down and kissed her stomach, then she heard it.

"NO…NO…NO….STONECOLD…" Spinelli was shouting as he rumbled down the stairs.

"I think I'll go tuck Cameron in now." Jason said as he lifted himself off of the couch.

"What's going ON?" Elizabeth demanded.

"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON. THE MASTER IS EVIL IN ALL THINGS. HE FOOLED US WITH HIS TRICKERY….." Spinelli started.

"**Quit yelling**!" Jason said through gritted teeth with a lethal glare in the younger mans direction.

Spinelli stopped in his tracks at the look on his master's face and backed up a few meters. He then side stepped the menacing enforcer and Jason headed for the stairs that Spinelli had just flown down.

"What happened?" Elizabeth inquired again, still not understanding. "Why has Jason fooled you?"

"No, it is US Maternal One. He acceded your warning to be kind to the Grasshopper at sunrise, became diabolical with the Valkary at midday and now, at sunset, he reigns victorious and you and I have been bamboozled."

Jason just laughed as he slowly walked up the three stairs to the foyer and hung at the bottom steps leading to the second floor listening to Spinelli explain. He could not miss this.

"I still don't understand. What did Jason do?"

"Maternal One, I regret to inform you….the Jackal's bedroom?...the one you promised me?...the one Stonecold said I could have because he said, JUST THIS MORNING, that I was family…is once again….regrettably pink."

He slumped down onto the couch next to Elizabeth and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to console him while they listened to Jason laughing hard all the way up the stairs.

Check Mate.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Okay, do you guys even remember this story? Jeez its been since August that I last updated it. Sorry :-( Well, I re-read the story. Here's what's funny. I found some glaring inconsistencies that none of you called me on. Thank you !!! Okay, just to clear it. Yes, Max and Diane were dating but when he met Shiree, I am going to assume he and Diane had called it quits. Maybe she's in Palermo with Big Daddy Giambetti LOL. Also, Ric was working for the Zacharra's and then he was the DA. Well...I am just going to say that Ric and his old man decided they would be more diabolical if Ric worked for the justice department. Other than that.... this is a short one but I have gotten back on the Counting train. I hope to continue on a regular basis until the story is done.

For a quick recap. Jason and Elizabeth met at Disney World and immediately fell in love. She moved to PC and works at an Art Museum. Ric is a rat from her past and Cam is Zander's but Zander has never known his son. Elizabeth is pregnant with Jason's child and is approximately 6 months pregnant. They just moved into a huge mansion called Casa De Stonecold. Jason, Elizabeth, Cameron and Spinelli all live there.

Back chapters can be found here: .net/s/4210057/1/Counting_to_Ten

or in the archives where you are reading it.

Again thank you to all of those who have been patient with me. I do apologize for the delay and know how you feel. There are some stories out there I wish would be updated soon too.

Counting to Ten

Chapter 32

Maxie was the first to hear it.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten…_

Then Spinelli's ears perked.

_Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…_

"If she gets to twenty, I am going to shoot. One bullet, straight through the both of you."

Spinelli whipped around to Jason's warning, pulling the sheet up to cover both he and Maxie in their state of complete undress.

"Stonecold, you were not expected to arrive until much, much later as in when the sun neared to set." Spinelli stammered as Maxie took a nose dive underneath the covers on the foldout couch.

"Grams, what's Spinelli and Maxie doing? Are they gonna have a sleep over with you Grams? Can I have a sleep over with you too?" Cam asked peeking around his father's jean clad legs.

"Oh my!" Audrey Hardy exclaimed as she lifted a wrinkled old hand to her mouth. She had just stepped into the guest house being tugged behind her great grandson. The guest house she was going to stay in while she visited her granddaughter and her family for the next two weeks for Christmas and the New Year. And two complete strangers were having sex.

Elizabeth turned around to see the startled look on her grandmother's face and started counting again, this time silently in her head.

Realizing that no one seemed to be moving and there were still two twenty somethings completely naked in the room along with his newly adopted son, Jason moved quickly.

"Elizabeth, why don't you and your Grandmother take Cam up to the house and maybe you can give her the Grand tour. I'll handle things here and get her suitcases from the car." He practically shoved Cameron into her arms and pushed all three out of the doorway.

Once he was sure that they were well on their way to the main house, Jason turned and leveled one of his infamous lethal glares at the two lovebirds.

"Would you two care to explain how this…" he pointed at the both of them "happened?"

"Well that's not very fair. You really need to learn some manners Jason. You have us at a disadvantage. I mean, Spinelli and I are not dressed. YOU interrupted us. There is such a thing called knocking. Besides, as it stands now, you know you could show us some respect here, not to mention some privacy and let us at least get dressed. You are such a block head. But who am I to question your motives since it is SOOO obvious that Mr. Silent wants to have a chat."

Jason and Spinelli both gaped at her. In one fell swoop, Maxie Jones had managed to reprimand the mobster as well as call him disrespectful, tell him to knock on his own door and topped it all off with calling him a name.

"Stonecold, the Fair Maximista didn't express herself in a manner to which you are accustomed. I beg you to refrain from what most assuredly is going through your mind right now. I think…rather I am most certain that she has rambled without thought to the effects of her words. I fear she may have been in the middle of a love induced ramble. For I, the Jackal was..."

"SPINELLI" Jason held his hand up to stop him. "I know what you were doing. I don't need for you to tell me. And I really don't care whatever Maxie just said. I am going to go to the car and get Elizabeth's grandmother's bags and you two had better be dressed when I get back."

"Hey, where's Cam and your Grandmother?" Jason asked as he shut the door from the back that entered into the family room.

"Oh, Cameron wanted to go show her the fish in the pond again. Honestly Jason, you really need to have a talk with him. He tries to catch them. Two have died already." she said as she pushed herself up off the couch.

"Ehh, we'll buy more. If he's happy then that's all that matters." Jason shrugged and moved to wrap his arms protectively around her and pull her close.

"Jason, that's not the point. I don't want my son growing up with that little regard for life."

As soon as it came out of her mouth she knew she regretted it. She didn't mean it the way she knew Jason would take it so she immediately took steps to correct it.

"I didn't mean that." she clipped out.

"Yes you did." he said as his eye's closed and he let out a slow controlled breath. Flashing his eyes open he continued, "I don't want him growing up like me either but Elizabeth...it's fish. YOU eat fish. Do you think there is different fish that doesn't get killed so that you can have your Pan Seared Ahi Tuna? Or your grilled Tilapia? It's fish. And maybe what that pond and those fish will teach Cam is how to take care of his pets. You know he wants a dog of his own."

He kissed her on the forehead to let her know he wasn't mad. He understood what she was saying but the panicked look on her face told him she still had a hard time justifying the Jason she knew with the Jason that he was in the business. He never had that problem but Sonny had explained long ago...as well as Robin and even his father Alan. He is the only one capable of compartmentalizing his life. And one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

"Jason, you had better not get Cam a dog. He's not ready and I don't want to have to take care of a puppy AND a newborn." she said pulling from his arms.

"Well what if we got Spinelli a dog?" Jason asked as he scrubbed his eyebrow with his forefinger.

"Semantics Jason. You are splitting hairs here and it's not fair." she said and rolled her eyes. Then she changed the subject completely. "What did Maxie and Spinelli have to say for themselves?"

"Oh, actually it was pretty original. He said that he was looking for something he must have left when his stuff was moved upstairs. When they went out there to look and then opened the couch into a bed, things just kind of...happened. But then Maxie said it wasn't true. That it was because he didn't want to take her up to his pink room. Then the girl proceeded to tell me how I am such a horrible person because of it." He laughed.

"Well, you are a horrible person to Spinelli!" she reminded him.

It was a daily argument with her and him. She never won. There was nothing she could do about it because they could not have the paint fumes in the house at this stage of her pregnancy. Besides, honestly it was really between Jason and Spinelli. But Elizabeth still liked reminding him that she thought he was awful for treating the young man that way.

"Whatever..." Jason said and wrapped his arms around her again and leaned in for a kiss.

Once air became necessary, Elizabeth pulled back and looked at Jason through hooded lashes. "You know...what Maxie and Spinelli were doing kind of turned me on. Since Cam is with Grams and will probably occupy her for the next half hour, we should go to the room and you can show me how sorry you are for treating Spinelli that way."

"Elizabeth, there are several things horribly wrong with that statement. First and foremost, please don't ever tell me that seeing Spinelli having sex turns you on. Next, I haven't really even had five minutes with your Grandmother before she walks in on my...whatever he is...having sex with his neurotic girlfriend in the guest house your grandmother is supposed to stay in. Do you think she'll still want to stay in there? Maybe we should move Spinelli out of his room. She'd be closer to Cam any way." Elizabeth watched as Jason grew two heads. He was rambling. RAMBLING! She and Spinelli and Maxie had changed Jason. "What?"

"Nothing honey, you're doing fine. But Grams said she would rather stay in the guest house so that she could do her own thing and make her tea at night. Besides, it's not really good for her to climb the stairs that much. But please continue. Have you finished telling me what you find wrong with me wanting to make love to you?"

"No...." he thought for a minute and she saw when the proverbial light bulb went on over his head. "And finally, I do not and did not treat Spinelli badly. I played a joke on him just like you two played one on me with that sign out front. I haven't asked either of you to remove the sign now have I? But as far as making love to you, I just stopped by to make sure your Grandmother had a good trip and to see if you all wanted to meet me at Metro Court for dinner. I need to get back to the warehouse. We're landing a shipment and I want to be there."

As he finished his sentence, his cell phone rang and Cameron and Audrey walked in the front door. Jason answered and walked toward their bedroom as Elizabeth headed toward the kitchen where her son and her beloved Grams were headed.

"Did you two enjoy the Koi pond?" Elizabeth asked as she trodded up the three steps to the kitchen table and sat down. Honestly, these days, even three little stairs exhausted her.

"Elizabeth dear, why don't I fix you a cup of tea. I was already going to make Cam and I some hot chocolate."

"Mmmmm chocolate. I cannot wait for this baby to be born so I can eat chocolate again."

"Well, I am sure you'll make up for it once the baby is born. I know how you love your chocolate." Audrey said as she filled the kettle with water. "Where do you keep...oh I see the canister. Nevermind dear."

"Mommy, can I have a sleepover like Spinelli and Maxie with Grams?" Cameron said as he climbed up into the chair next to his mother with his Buzz Lightyear in his hand.

"No honey. And Maxie and Spinelli aren't having a sleepover with Grams either. They were just..."

"Taking a nap." Audrey interjected lifting an eyebrow to her granddaughter.

"Oh, okay." Cameron said and pushed the button so that his toy screeched 'Buzz Lightyear To Infinity and Beyond'

"Elizabeth," Jason called as he walked through the house toward the kitchen.

"In here Jason." she called back to him.

"Hey...I uh...I just got a call from Sonny. I probably won't be able to make dinner tonight. I...I'll be home as soon as I can but it might be pretty late." he looked up at Audrey who was skeptically eyeing him from across the center island. "You guys should go out to dinner anyway. Take Audrey to Metro Court. She'll be able to see the whole city from the balcony of the restaurant. If things change, I'll try to meet you guys but it doesn't look promising."

"Oh, okay. Well, please be careful." she whispered and pulled on his shirt to tug his lips down to hers.

"I will." He kissed her tenderly on the lips then moved down further to place a chaste kiss to her swollen belly. "Bye baby, Daddy loves you." Then came back up to his fiance "and I love you too."

Placing another soft kiss to her forehead, Jason turned around to face Audrey when he heard Cam, "Hey what about me?"

"I didn't forget about you. I was thinking you might want to go play at Becky's house. You can ride with me to the warehouse. Max and Shiree are there waiting for us. You can go with them while I work and that way Mommy and Grams can talk and Mommy can take a nap. Then Max will bring you home in a couple of hours. Sound good?"

"Yea! Can I mommy?" Cam asked excitedly jumping up and down in front of her.

"Well, it's okay with me. What about you Grams? Would you rather Cam stay here?" Elizabeth looked over to her grandmother.

"No, that sounds good. I am rather tired from my flight so when you take a nap, I will too. We can have a nice talk and then, instead of going out to dinner, since Jason can't be with us, I'll cook you your favorite."

"Ohhh, Shepperds Pie. Yummmm" Elizabeth exclaimed as she mimicked Cam clapping her hands together like the child.

Jason wrinkled his nose, "I wonder what THAT tastes like with A-1 sauce all over it?"

"A-1?" Audrey asked looking to Jason to explain his strange comment.

"She puts it on everything Audrey. It's horrible to watch. Last weekend she put it on her waffles. I had to leave the table. It's disgusting."

Audrey gave a knowing nod of her head and smiled, "Pregnancy cravings. I remember them well. With Cameron she ate Peanut Butter and Pickle sandwiches all the time. And when I was pregnant with your father, I put mustard on everything. I remember even eating carrots and celery dipped in mustard. That was my favorite snack while I watched my stories in the afternoons before your grandfather came home. It was horrible but the hormones demanded it. Your grandfather...Your biological grandfather, Jeff Webber Senior, said the worst was when I put mustard on my mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving Dinner instead of gravy. Can you imagine?"

Jason made another face as if he'd just smelled a dirty diaper and held out his hand for Cameron, "Come on Cameron, before I lose my lunch."

Audrey and Elizabeth laughed and as he and Cam were almost out the door into the garage he heard Elizabeth say, "Mustard huh? Carrots and mustard sounds pretty good...mixed with A-1 sauce."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"Elizabeth dear, now that everyone is gone...I need to talk with you about something. Your brother didn't want me to but I feel it is imperative that you know." Audrey Hardy clasped her hand over her beloved granddaughters.

She had argued with her Grandson over the past few days. Steven didn't want his little sister upset while she was pregnant. Audrey felt she should know the truth. Finally relenting, Steven simply asked his grandmother to tell her the basics and not go into details. His concern was for Elizabeth's gentle condition. There was really no need to worry her. Especially since he was handling it in a way even Grams didn't know.

"What is it Grams? You're scaring me. Are you sick?" Elizabeth couldn't stop the tear from flowing down her face.

"Zander has gotten in contact with me. He wants to know about Cameron." Audrey stated simply. She had agreed that THAT was as far as the topic would go.

"Zander Smith? Why? He hasn't...I don't understand...Why now?" The tears flowed freely now.

This wasn't her worst nightmare. No, that would be losing Jason. Jason had adopted Cameron but they both knew that there was a one year period to which the absent biological father could contest the adoption. Jason's lawyer showed proof of their having searched for Zander and that was good enough for the judge to sign approval of the adoption but Elizabeth knew that they didn't _really_ look that hard for Zander.

Why would they? He hadn't shown his face, called on the phone or even written a letter in over four years. She had sent a letter to his parents when Cameron was born giving them the statistics of their grandchild but even they could have cared less.

Or so it seemed.

Why would Zander be seeking Cameron now?

"He can't take Cam away from Jason and me. Jason is Cam's father. Legally. There's nothing Zander can do." Elizabeth stood and squared her shoulders as she crossed the room.

She turned on the sink and started scrubbing at pots that had actually already been scrubbed by Audrey and were just drying in the sink instead of on the counter. Audrey recognized this as a way for Elizabeth to think and take out her frustration on the non existent dirt in the pans. Audrey cleaned up the few items from the table and brought them over to her grandchild to wash.

Slowly pulling the pot from Elizabeth's death grip, Audrey quietly dried it with a towel and put it away. She smiled recognizing that Elizabeth set up her kitchen exactly how hers was. Their kitchens were similar, except that Audrey didn't have the fancy double oven or the center island but hers was as big with nearly as many cabinets.

She moved back over and pulled the next item over, remaining quiet as she had learned over the years to just let Elizabeth work through her fear and anger first, then offer her sage advice. The lid to the pot was dried and in it's place when she heard the crack of bone china.

"Elizabeth...oh dear!" she exclaimed as she turned to find her granddaughter had crushed a teacup in her hands.

Elizabeth didn't move. She just stood at the sink watching as the blood smeared with the water turning it to a bright pink. She had a piece of china sticking out of the palm of her hand and her blood was flowing rapidly. Audrey immediately put her years of training to work and grabbed a clean dish towel out of the drawer she knew it would be in. She wrapped it around Elizabeth's hand but didn't pull the china out because it was very close to the artery at the base of her thumb.

"HELP!...HELP!" Audrey called out. "Oh goodness where are those burly men that are always hanging around you Elizabeth? **HELP!"**

Just then, Francis Correli came busting through the front door and yelled, "WHERE ARE YOU?"

"WE'RE IN THE KITCHEN" Audrey replied as she held her granddaughter's hand above their heads. She needed the blood to stop flowing so freely to the injured hand.

As soon as Francis arrived on a near skid into the kitchen, he came eye to...hand with the china protruding from Elizabeth's delicate hand.

"Shit, Jason's gonna kill me." Francis muttered to him self then reached up to pull the broken china from her hand.

"**NO!**" Audrey cried out stopping Francis. Once she realized he had stopped she lowered her voice. "She may have hit the ulnar artery below her thumb. We need to get her to the hospital before we pull it out.

Elizabeth hadn't said a word and both Audrey and Francis noticed her paled complexion. Her knees started to tremble and Francis easily caught her and scooped the waif of a woman into his arms. She grasped onto his tan suit jacket immediately smearing blood onto it.

Audrey kept hold of her hand with the towel and the three of them moved toward the door to the garage. Once Francis had Elizabeth and her grandmother safely tucked into the back seat of the Lincoln Towncar he used to drive Elizabeth, he climbed into the front, pushing the button of the garage door and started the engine.

"We'll be at the hospital in fifteen minutes Mrs. Hardy. Elizabeth, you hang in there cause you wouldn't want Jason to ruin this pretty face of mine because something happened to you on my watch.

It was Audrey's turn to pale at the reminder of how violent her future grandson-in-law could be. "We'll be fine back here. You just drive carefully."

~%~%~%~%~%~

"Why is Sorel rearing his head now? I thought we took care of him being a thorn in our side the last time I removed him and his men from our territory." Jason sighed as he scrubbed his face.

Sonny leaned up on his elbows on his desk and rested his chin on his clasped hands. He eyed his enforcer across from him and sighed. "I have no idea. He has no stake here. He doesn't even have the backing from the other families since he pulled that stunt on the Scarpucci's. He's barely holding on by a thread right now. In the last meeting of the five families, which you missed by the way, we decided to let him be for now. His men are turning on him left and right and we figured we'd just let him fall apart on his own accord."

"I missed that meeting because of Elizabeth's second sonogram. So quit bringing it up. Besides, Johnny was there. Aside from me, there's no one better to effectively show that you and the organization are not to be messed with." He stood and crossed the room.

He was sick of having this conversation with Sonny. Regardless, Sonny would always bring it up. Jason knew that for the past decade, he had put Sonny and the organization first, even taking over on the occasions when Sonny's personal life preoccupied him. Yet now, when Jason had a family that needed his attention, Sonny's possessive jealously came out in full force.

He knew it was his own fault. He had lulled Sonny into a sense of security that Jason would always be there one hundred percent but damnit. He was there. He was always there for Sonny. Sonny just needed to learn that Jason could be there for him as his enforcer but still have a life and a family of his own.

"I know. It's just...I can't afford for you to be distracted." Sonny whined.

"But it's okay for YOU to be distracted. Now it's Kate but before it was Carly, then Brenda. I have a life. I know I've had girlfriends before and nothing changed between you and me then but this time it's different. This time...she's carrying my child. She's going to become my wife. We have a son together. You know Cam, your sons new best friend. You need to cut me a break here. I do what has to be done. Just lay off of your petty..."

Sonny cut him off with a loud bang of his fist against his desk. He stood and glared back at his enforcer. "YOU WATCH THAT FUCKING MOUTH OF YOURS. I TRAINED YOU. I GAVE YOU A PLACE TO BE WHEN YOU HAD NOTHING. I RUN THIS GODDAMN ORGANIZATION. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO OR HOW I AM TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS OR ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES."

He moved around his desk and put a long digit to Jason's face wagging it. "THAT'S YOU JASON. MY EMPLOYEE. DON'T FORGET IT."

Jason batted his hand away and took an intimidating step toward the mafia don "I AM MORE THAN YOUR EMPLOYEE AND YOU KNOW IT."

Johnny busted in the room after hearing the commotion from the cafe. "What's going on in..."

He stopped when he saw that Jason had Sonny by the lapels of his suit and Sonny was reaching for the brass paperweight on his desk, curling his hand around the cool metal disc.

"WOAH WOAH WOAH" Johnny shouted as she shoved himself between his two bosses. "Whatever is going on here, you two need to go to your neutral corners before something happens neither of you can take back."

"**FUCK YOU JOHNNY"** both mafia don and his enforcer shouted in unison.

"Fine take it out on the lowly number three. That's cool. It's not like I didn't just save you from Jason beating the shit out of you and" turning to face Jason "save YOU from getting your face smashed in by a brass paperweight."

Sonny and Jason both backed away from each other at Johnny's comment. They looked in each others eyes and could see both fury and fear. Even when they were on opposite sides when Sonny found out Jason was dating his sister, they had never come to this. And it frightened the both of them.

Jason was the first to speak. "Sonny" he sighed closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose as he slumped down onto the couch. "I don't want to fight with you. I will always be here and work for you...for the organization. I just..."

"You have a family now." Sonny answered for his best friend as he moved back behind his desk and sat. "And I need to respect that. And you are right. Johnny is here for the both of us and I need to utilize that. You need to be pulled from the front line. Especially now."

"Wait, I never said I wanted pulled form the day to day stuff. **_I_**am still your number two. I handle the problems."

"Exactly but for now...you and I need to handle the problems while Johnny, Max, Milo and Francis actually do the work."

"Leave Max out of it too boss." Johnny said finally slowing his rapidly beating heart. Somehow, if the fight he walked in on hadn't calmed itself, Johnny felt sure HE would have been the one hospitalized. "He's got a new family too and Shiree couldn't deal with losing two husbands in one year."

"Right" Sonny nodded. "No Max. We'll keep him guarding the girls. But we need to pull Francis. He needs to be your back up Johnny."

"Hey wait!" Jason cried "I didn't just get my balls chopped off here did I? I mean, I know I have a family and I need to put them first but I am still in the thick of this."

"You'll be my voice of reason, the logistical person. You're better at that anyway. You come up with the plan and Johnny and Francis will carry it out. That way you'll be able to be with Elizabeth and Cam more. Elizabeth is in her third trimester now. That baby is coming and you need to be there for her."

"Jason, I can handle this. You've taught me everything you know. Give me the chance man. I've been itching for it." Johnny rested a reassuring hand on Jason's shoulder.

Jason closed his eyes. It was exactly what he wanted to hear. From both of them, especially Sonny. And yet now that he was hearing it, he couldn't help but feel like something was slipping away from him.

"Jase, once the baby comes and Elizabeth is settled, you step back in full force. But for now, we have to figure out what Sorel wants. It's not like he can do anything to us. He has nothing on us and no power."

"Yeah but the way his message reads, he DOES have _something. _But what is it?" Jason sighed.

Jason's phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. Seeing it was Francis, he immediately hit the green button and pulled it to his ear. "Francis? What's wrong?"

"Elizabeth...we brought her to the hospital. She..." Francis' breathing was labored and Jason panicked.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ELIZABETH?" Jason jumped from his chair cutting off Francis and started moving to the door, grabbing his leather jacket from the arm of the couch as he yanked the already open door further, nearly ripping it from its hinges.

"She cut her hand and it's...it's pretty bad. Audrey said we needed to rush her to the hospital right away. I tried to call you but...my phone battery died. We left the house so fast that they didn't bring their purse."

"General Hospital right? I'll be right there." Jason said as he rushed through the cafe.

Sonny and Francis were both following him to his car. Francis because Sonny was following him. He was Sonny's guard today because Joey had been hurt. When Jason reached his Escalade, Sonny jumped in the front passenger seat next to him and told Johnny to get his limo and follow behind them. Francis nodded and ran to the waiting limo where Fred was reading the paper. He jumped into the front seat and pointed at the black SUV pealing out of the warehouse parking lot. "Follow them"

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Spinelli and Maxie rushed through the emergency room doors. "Where is the Maternal One and Stonecold?"

Audrey rolled her eyes at the sight of the two little heathens that she'd seen having sex in _her _guest house. She had been sitting amongst a crowd of thugs waiting for her granddaughter and Jason to emerge from the curtains. She had spoken with the Chief of Staff, who happened to be Jason's father which gave Audrey hope. He had indicated that his wife, another doctor on staff and Jason's stepmother was performing the extrication of the china and stitching the artery which Audrey had correctly guess was severed.

The fact that a leading cardiovascular surgeon was performing simple interior and exterior closure of a wound was a bit of humor not lost on the aging nurse. However, when Sonny, the man with the kind obsidian eyes and deep dimples but scary aura, explained that Jason was estranged from his family, she understood why the woman would want to handle her son's pregnant fiancé herself. She was probably hoping to make a connection with the woman and gain some footing to be a part of her grandson or granddaughters life. That she could certainly understand and had made note of the fact that she would encourage her own granddaughter to forge a relationship with Alan and Monica.

She looked through the wall of burly guards and smiled at the fumbling geek with the army green canvas bag crossed over his shoulder, the maroon striped shirt with the gray and blue plaid shorts. How the boy could be in shorts in this cold weather was beyond her but his ability to find two items of clothing that matched the least was astonishing.

Suddenly the boy was standing in front of her and Sonny, fumbling to catch his footing. "Mr. Sir, I received the dreaded message through the wireless air waves. Is the Fair Elizabeth injured? What about the wee one? I received no indication from Prince Pectoral as to the diagnosis of our Maternal One's condition. If the tiniest Morgan life form that has yet to have had the chance to fully grow were to arrive in this germ infected world now...his or her survival rate would..."

"SPINELLI" Sonny raised his voice as he stood. "STOP BLABBERING."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Corinthos Sir." Damien Spinelli responded quickly.

Audrey watched as the boy contorted into a pretzel and thought that it must be because the strange boy couldn't speak in his indescribable nor discernible language. Either that or he had to use the restroom and was dancing much in the way Cameron does.

"Elizabeth is going to be fine Spinelli." Sonny said and tugged at the boys arm to pull him over to a corner of the waiting room away from prying ears then started whispering to him. "I need you to do some work for me. You can do it right here while we wait for Elizabeth and Jason to come out. However, you need to act quickly and quietly. Definitely quietly. Mostly because if I have to listen to any more of your jibberish, I'll probably put a bullet in your head to end _my_ misery."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Sir. What do you need me to do?" Spinelli sat down on the radiator against the wall and started pulling his laptop from his bag.

"I need you to find any monetary transactions in the past few weeks made by Sorel or any of his flunkies. Any newly hired guns or runners or anything on his payroll that may indicate what his supposed threat may be against us. You need to keep this quiet and you need to work fast. I want something tonight. Anything at all that may stand out or give us any indication of what he's up to. Now I am trusting you with this. This is your chance. Prove to me why Jason insists I keep you on the payroll."

"Oh but I am not monetarily compensated by Mr. Sir. It is Stonecold that fills my coffers so that I may live richly with video games, bar-b-que potato chips and orange..."

"SPINELLI" Sonny rubbed his forehead trying to relieve the growing headache that always seemed to start as soon as the computer nerd entered his sight line and specifically within his hearing range.

"Your wish is my command. I shall do your cyber bidding with stealth and speed. And shall reign..."

"SHUT UP OR I PROMISE YOU...A BULLET...RIGHT HERE" Sonny affixed his hand to look like a gun and poked Spinelli in the forehead, right between the eyes, with his barrel finger. Sonny smiled at the red mark left to prove his point.

Spinelli snapped his mouth shut and slid along the wall away from the mafia don. He moved clear across the room so that even his talking to someone else would be unheard by the man he feared more than his master. He felt sure that even though Stonecold always promised his grasshopper was under his protection, Sonny would find a way to follow through with his threats one day and the grasshopper would be fish food at the bottom of the harbor.

And THAT was definitely worse than the regrettably pink room.


	34. Chapter 34

Author's Note: Well do you guys remember this? I get requests for it on occasion and to all of you who have been so patient for this story, I thank you. I refuse to make any promises any more because let's face it...I simply do not follow through. Many of you are reading Just a Matter of Time and you know that story has just pretty much exploded in me. (Hint: Big fight coming up) Any of you still waiting for Humble's Grumbles...well, it's officially on hiatus. I have to get at least this story and maybe even JaMoT out of the way before tackling that one again. (Oddly it's the first story written with an outline and the hardest to write. LOL Yes even I say WTF?) Now, I only see a few chapters of this left so hopefully I'll force myself to put out the chapters until I can type The End. And no, that does not mean that JaMoT is on hold (not possible...still too much in my head). Now, those of you that liked my one shot called Rub Down and want more...??? oddly the next prompt was something I could work with to continue it but I just cannot take on any more right now. Therefore, I'm not saying no and I'm not saying yes. How's that for a crappy response to you all? :-p

Okay, so for those that need a **refresher on this story**... Jason met Elizabeth and Cameron at Disney World and after a whirlwind romance at the Magic Kingdom, real life started to rear its ugly head. However, persistence and love helped the two blend their odd little family. Jason and Elizabeth now live in their dream home aptly named _Casa De Stone Cold_ with Cameron who Jason adopted and Spinelli who probably could not survive without Jason and they are expecting their first child together. They are engaged and all should be right with the world. However, Audrey came to town for Christmas and just told Elizabeth that Zander has been looking for Cam, even though Steven promised their beloved Grams he was handling it. Meanwhile, on the other side of town Jason and Sonny are on edge because Sorel has been making threats. This picks up where everyone is gathered at the hospital after Elizabeth, in her distress over her Grandmother's disturbing news, cut her hand severely.

**Chapter 34**

"Baby you scared the hell out of me." Jason said pacing behind the curtain after his mother left from stitching up his fiancée.

"I know, I'm sorry." She said as she shifted on the gurney.

"Your Grandmother said you were doing the dishes and you were upset? What made you so upset?" He asked as he lifted one leg and bent it to sit facing his seven months pregnant lover.

She was covered with the blanket and changed into a hospital gown. The argument for her to stay for observation lasted a full ten minutes. Finally, Jason and Monica won out when they told Elizabeth that if she stayed hooked to all the monitors, Monica would stay on as her attending physician and if by ten pm all her tests and vitals were good, she would release her to go home. That would be a full eight hours after she arrived at the emergency room and Monica figured if the baby were in distress or there were complications from her blood loss, signs to that effect would show by then. Also, Jason promised to bring Cameron to the hospital and would allow his mother and father to join him, Elizabeth, Cameron and Audrey for dinner in the hospital.

Monica was so surprised at that offer, she nearly stitched her own thumb to Elizabeth's.

Not wanting her son to have reason to retract the offer of breaking bread with his family, she quickly left the room after the final stitch to go find Alan and call the Quartermaine chef, Cook. She wanted Cook to make a special meal and cater it to the hospital promptly at six thirty when Jason agreed they would all meet. And also, she needed to find _something _that would occupy Edward or the dinner would quickly be a disaster. She knew that Alan being there was precarious enough. There was no way Jason would sit five minutes with Alan AND Edward in the same room.

Monica and Jason had come to some sort of understanding a long time ago and for the most part were at least civil. However that stopped short of becoming anything more than distant family politeness. Many times when pushed, Jason pushed right back and Monica was back at square one. Alan and the rest of the family, however, did not even have that semblance of cordiality. Ned was the only one who shared a close relationship but even that was strained when _family_ business came into play.

So as Monica tentatively walked on eggshells today, she came to find out that Elizabeth had wanted to get to know Jason's Quartermaine heritage. Because to be frank, the child growing inside her was an heir, right alongside Michael. Before Jason had stormed into the examination room, Monica had a chance to talk to the woman who had stolen her son's heart. She was impressed at how genuine Elizabeth was. She was educated, loving, maternal, strong willed and completely, one hundred percent head over heels in love with Jason.

This was something she had always wished for her son once Robin left his life. He had flitted around, in and out of relationships and marriages but was never truly happy. Now, after seeing the two together, she knew that even though her son still insisted on living the life of a criminal, always skirting the edge of life or death, he was in a new place in his life. He now sparked with the reason to live. Never, since his accident, had the mother NOT seen her son teeter that fine line. But now it was as if he couldn't help but stand near that proverbial edge but truly _wanted _to live. _Really_ _LIVE_.

Elizabeth chewed on her lower lip, as Jason had seen so many times when she was nervous or avoiding the topic at hand. She smoothed the blankets and sighed several times before finally lifting her eyes to Jason's startling blue ones.

Jason remained stoic, waiting for her response.

"I...well Gram's gave me some pretty bad news." she finally spoke when she realized Jason wasn't going to let the question go without answer.

"Well, that's...vague." He said as he looked over at all the monitors hooked up to his beautiful bride to be. He noted the steady heartbeat of their child and absently ran his hand over her belly.

He smiled when the heartbeat quickened just slightly and leaned down and murmured 'I love you little one' into Elizabeth's protruding stomach. Elizabeth reached up and ran her fingers through Jason's hair as he continued to alternate between sweet little comments to their child and kissing her stomach. She loved that he always talked to their child. Any time they were in the same room, Jason could not keep from bending down and kissing her stomach and telling her belly how much he loved and wanted his child. He even would talk to the baby about other things. And of course the baby would respond by kicking and moving which only spurred the father to be on more.

"Jason, you love Cameron just as much as you love this child right?" she asked unsure of how she needed to broach the coming subject.

"What kind of question is that?" He leaned back and she instantly felt guilt for the look of astonishment and hurt bleeding from his eyes.

"No...I mean I KNOW you love Cam as much. However, I need to know that you think of him as yours and would fight for him. Even if it was against..."

"Elizabeth, what's going on? What did Audrey say to you?" he asked as he climbed fully on the small rolling bed and wrapped her into his strong arms.

Suddenly feeling safer than she had all day, she finally let the tears spill from her eyes and blurted, "Zander's back."

"WHAT?" he tensed and would have jumped from the bed but seeing the tears roll down her porcelain cheeks kept him stationary. "Did he contact you? Your Grams? How?...When?...Why now?"

Both knew the adoption still had the final faze of waiting the full year before it was irreversible. Now, only four months in, the biological father was a factor. Unbelievably, Jason shook his head as he thought it, after four years of the child's life, this man wanted to insert himself.

"I don't know. Grams said he contacted her recently and was asking about me and Cam. She said Steven was handling it but that we should know. That's what had me so upset and I accidentally broke the china teacup while washing it. That's how I ended up here."

"Oh" Jason said and looked toward the door. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream and yell and bloody his fists on something or someone. It was always easier to handle physical pain than the emotional stab wound he had just received from her words.

Feeling his tense features, Elizabeth curled into Jason further. "You won't let him take Cameron will you?"

"Cameron's not going anywhere. He's _our_ little boy and no idiot that donated his biology is going to take him away from us. I'm his father and that's how this will stay. No matter what I have to do to get Zander Smith to back off."

"Jason, I don't want you to..." she stopped. She wasn't going to put into words what she thought he meant and what he really DID mean.

"Don't you worry. You just take care of you and this baby. I'll take care of Zander." Jason kissed the top of her head as his hands alternately rubbed her shoulders and her stomach where the baby had decided he or she wanted to do somersaults. He laughed a short little chuckle when the baby kicked at his hand. "See, even the baby agrees. You take care of our kids and I'll take care of the rest of the world."

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes and saw the love and assurance she needed. She reached up and scratched at his stubbled face giving him a glowing smile. He in turn swiped at her cheeks to clear it of tears and leaned in to brush his lips with hers. Quickly Elizabeth pulled at him and both heard her own heart monitor increase as her pulse raced and she moved to rub herself suggestively against him.

Finally when her hand traveled to the front of his jeans, Jason stopped her hand as he stopped the kiss. "Elizabeth, you are insatiable. We're in the hospital and you are hooked up to all of these machines."

Pulling himself from the bed, fighting her wandering hands, he placed both of her hands in her own lap and stepped away from her reach.

"Well if you hadn't sided with your mother, we could have gone home to finish what I wanted to start." she responded.

"Finish what?" Monica asked as she walked back into the room.

Elizabeth immediately turned beet red and Jason could not help but laugh. "Nothing Monica. Was there something else you needed?"

Monica looked up at her son's request. Even after everything, she still saw him as the scared college student when she told him she had breast cancer. She always did when they were faced with situations like this. "Oh, no I just wanted to ask Elizabeth what she wanted Cook to make all of us for dinner and also what Cameron would eat. I figured maybe there were certain cravings or things that turned Elizabeth's stomach in her condition. I remember with AJ, just the smell of fried food would make me run for the hills."

"A-1 steak sauce." Jason shook his head. "She puts it on everything. I swear she put it on waffles the other day."

"That's not true!" Elizabeth protested.

"Oh it's not? Did you not have the sauce in a bowl next to your waffles the other morning?"

"Well...yes but that was for the bacon and sausage, not the waffles." Elizabeth protested looking back and forth between Jason and his mother.

"Oh really Elizabeth, you were dipping the waffles in the A-1. Even Spinelli turned up his nose and that boy will eat anything."

"Oh I didn't even think about him." Monica gasped. "Should I add him to the list for dinner tonight? Let's see, you and Elizabeth, Cameron...Oh your Grandmother, Audrey's her name?..." when Elizabeth and Jason both nodded she went on ticking names off of her fingers "your father and me...that makes six and with Spinelli makes seven. I had better make sure your private room is one of the bigger ones in the new wing."

"Spinelli won't be there. Six..." Jason announced and then sobers in his expression, "and make sure Alan..."

"I know Jason. And so does your father. We won't do or say anything to upset you. We promise. But we are excited to get to know Elizabeth and our new grandson." she turned away from her youngest son and grabbed for Elizabeth's hand. "We wanted to bring something for Cameron. You said he was four right?"

"Yes, he'll be five in a month. And you two don't have to get him anything. Please..."

Again Monica cut in, "No, we've missed so many birthday's and Christmases with him, we want to bring him something. Besides, it's the same thing we did with Michael when Morgan was on the way. There's a special book called 'The Big Brother' that...well...we gave it to Michael when Morgan was coming and even AJ when Jason moved in."

She looked over at her son who now had the face of a stone statue and decided she needn't push any further. "Well, it's just something that means a lot to Alan and I and we would really like to get that book and maybe another small something. Is there anything specific that interest Cameron?"

"Well, Chuggin Charlie is always a hit and ever since we got the koi pond he seems to think he's a fisherman."

"Well I'm sure we'll find something for him." she nodded at the younger woman. She looked back at her son who was now sitting in the chair beside the bed and sighed. "I better go before I overstay my welcome. So, is there anything special you or Cameron would want for dinner?"

"No, whatever is fine with us but Cameron isn't really big on flavored rice. He prefers pasta or potatoes." Elizabeth scratched her forehead thinking of anything else she should tell Jason's mother knowing that everything really needed to be perfect so Jason didn't explode at dinner. "Oh and..."

"I know, A-1 steak sauce. I'll be sure to get a bottle when I go shopping so that it's already here. Cook is not the type of person to take well anyone wanting to smother her beef burgundy with A-1 sauce. So we'll just not tell her."

With that, Monica squeezed Elizabeth's hand, promised to come check in on her later and instructed her to get some rest. Then she patted her son's shoulder and left.

~%~%~%~%~%~

Everyone left the hospital except Audrey and Jason when Elizabeth was moved to her private room. Jason had sent Francis home but the guard felt so guilty about the incident with Elizabeth that he and Johnny went to Jakes. Carly and the boys left with Jax for Australia so Milo was able to guard Sonny for the evening. Spinelli had gone with Mr. Sir to do his cyber bidding and Max promised to bring Cameron to the hospital no later than six. So with two hours to spare, Jason and Elizabeth curled up for a nap.

Audrey went in search of Monica to get to know the woman better. Elizabeth had touched on the story behind Jason's estrangement from his family. Elizabeth herself didn't fully understand the situation but didn't see the need to press Jason on the subject. Audrey though, wanted more from the matriarch of the Quartermaine family. So she set off to befriend and chat with the cardiologist figuring their common ground of a grandchild on the way was as good a place as any to start.

The two women toured the hospital then finally settled in the cafeteria where they shared a bag of microwave popcorn and talked about Jason and Elizabeth's lives from start to finish.

Finally, Alan tracked the two women down to let Monica know that one of the Quartermaine under butlers was here to set up for dinner. Regardless of location, there was linen and fine china and silver to be set. The Quartermaines didn't eat macaroni and cheese and hot dogs without sterling silver condiment bowls and silk napkins.

"I'm sorry to wake you two. Jeeves needs to set up the table for dinner and then Alice will be here shortly to deliver and serve dinner." Monica quietly announced as she and Audrey pushed through the door.

Quickly the room was set, Elizabeth was allowed after much protesting on her part, to at least get dressed in her street clothes. Jason groaned at the fancy meal and hoopla being put on by his parents. He grumbled to Elizabeth that this was one of the reasons why he had to leave the Quartermaine mansion. The snooty aires the wealthy family set was such second hand fodder for them, they didn't even realize how ridiculous it was that they were all in a hospital room with monitors beeping and sterilized bedpans but eating a five course meal with the formal dinner setting of two glasses, a coffee cup and saucer, four plates of varying size, a finger bowl, three forks and two spoons. And they were eating a simple dish of pork loin, twice baked potatoes and two different vegetables. They started out with an appetizer of liver pate on home made garlic crisps, to which Jason and Cameron refused to eat and Elizabeth simply smothered in A-1 sauce and gobbled down. Then they had watercress salad. Cam would have no part of the salad. Then the main course. They finished off with cherries jubilee that they had to eat cold because they could not light the dessert concoction in the hospital with all of the oxygen tanks around.

In all it was just another glaring bit of proof that the Quartermaines had no clue about regular life.

However, the dinner did go surprisingly well and even Alan and Jason had an in depth conversation about a procedure Jason had read about while in the waiting room for Elizabeth's last sonogram. It dealt with what the article called "designer genetic babies" and how the whole procedure should be illegal. Both men agreed on the subject and Jason still had Jason Quartermaine's recollection of medicine and science that allowed him and his father to carry on quite an intellectually stimulating conversation.

The women chatted about Elizabeth's pending birth, the conditions of her birth with Cameron to compare. Then the older women chimed in with their own happy and horror stories of having and raising children.

Cameron was busy himself with the new plastic fishing pole his new Grandpa and Grandma Q had given him. He had plastic fish to catch but found it much more fun trying to catch Grandpa Alan's glasses and Mommy's tubes she was still hooked up to. The only time he chimed in, and incidentally the only strained time of the evening, was when he asked Jason if he was his daddy with no blood in him just like Monica was Jason's mommy with no blood in her. Jason calmly explained that the two in question definitely had blood in them but didn't share DNA with each other. Cameron didn't really understand so Jason pulled his knife from his pocket and pricked his finger to show he had blood. Then Monica took the knife and did the same thing. Cameron was awed, Elizabeth was horrified that they had just cut themselves. Alan scoffed at both of them for their odd way of explaining to the boy and Audrey had them both bandaged and scolded before Cameron even knew what had happened.

As Jeeves was cleaning up, Sonny knocked and stuck his head in the door effectively bringing the mood back to sullen and tense. Alan immediately started to protest the mafia Don's intrusion in their family gathering and Jason not so politely reminded his father that Sonny _was_ family.

Quickly everyone cleared out. Alan offered to take Audrey and Cameron home where Sean, a long time trusted guard, would be waiting for them. Monica was on call and promised to come back to see if Elizabeth's charts looked steady enough to release her later that evening and Spinelli stepped in to the hospital room to wait with Elizabeth while Sonny and Jason spoke in the hall with Milo a few yards away to give his bosses privacy but still be ready were he need to guard Sonny.

"What do you know about Elizabeth's brother Steven?" Sonny didn't waste time cutting to the subject.

"Uh...he's a doctor in Colorado and is a lot older than Elizabeth and her sister. Why would you ask?" Jason said shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and turning to look back into the room's window to see Elizabeth talking to Spinelli while rubbing her stomach.

"He's on Sorel's payroll." Sonny said soberly.

"He's what?" Jason quickly looked away from Elizabeth and back at his boss. "That's impossible. He would never get involved...he didn't even want Elizabeth getting involved with me, there's no..."

"Jason, I would not be telling you this if I wasn't sure. Spinelli discovered it this afternoon and I had Bernie and Stan get me substantial proof that the kid was right. Speaking of Spinelli, I don't know how you put up with his jibber jabber all day long."

It was Sonny's turn to look into the window and see the young man with his knit brown beanie on his head tapping away on his laptop while his jaw jacked a mile a minute. "Did you realize that the boy cannot type on his computer without talking his way through it. And whatever language he uses...It's not English. I don't even think it's human. It's like...like...alien or something."

"It takes a while but if you really listen, all of his words are discernible. He just has a highly intelligent way of piecing them together."

"Are you calling me unintelligent?" Sonny raised an eyebrow at his enforcer and Jason smiled realizing what he had just said.

"No, well...no more unintelligent than me where it comes to the words Spinelli uses. I'm just used to hearing it so I am able to decipher it better. But you are right, I think if I were to tape his mouth shut which is something I have thought about doing daily, he would not be able to do what he does on his laptop. And you have to admit Sonny, the boy can do anything on that computer."

"Well, you have a point but he's still weird and I'll never understand how you have kept from killing the boy. I considered it at least a dozen times in the five or six hours I've spent with him today. But that's not what's important. I need to know about this brother of Elizabeth's. You don't think they talk and Elizabeth unknowingly has been giving the doctor information that he has been able to pass on to Sorel do you?"

"Well, I don't know. I didn't think Elizabeth spoke to her brother as often as she does her Grandmother but I do know they talk on a regular basis. And honestly, I have no idea what they talk about but Elizabeth would never knowingly tell anyone anything they could use against us." Jason stated firmly. "What did Bernie and Stan get?"

"Well first things first, he speaks to Elizabeth on the phone once a week at least. That has increased in the past two months and two months ago was the first time a deposit of fifty thousand dollars was made into a separate account the doctor set up. Bernie traced the deposits and they are coming from an underling of Sorel's named Alexander-"

"Smith...Zander..." Jason finished for his boss. Suddenly all the pieces were falling into place especially the ominous threat Soral had recently sent to the Corinthos Organization. He was going to use Cameron's adoption to try to get them to turn over precious territory.

"Fuck Sonny, we got trouble, real fucking trouble."

~%~%~%~%~%~

Elizabeth had come home that night and because Jason had to go out for _business _and didn't know when he'd be back, Audrey agreed to stay in the house with them. Monica offered to come check on her the next day and Jason was honestly relieved when his mother and father both realized without asking questions that Jason had something big happening and was worried for his family. Jason kept asking about Elizabeth's loss of blood, her stress levels and the baby. Monica, reading between the lines, knew that her son was worried for what was coming, not what stress was already present.

Finally, on day three of no word from Jason, Monica and Audrey spent the evening chatting with Elizabeth trying to keep the young pregnant woman distracted. Finally, Monica had agreed to stay the night because she had two glasses of wine and they were all in the guest house setting up the bed for Monica when they heard a noise.

Elizabeth went to look for her guard and screamed when she saw Johnny and Max carrying Jason toward the guest house. His body was lifeless except for the occasional coughing spell that produced lots of spit and what she could only assume was blood.

"What is it dear?" Audrey asked and then gasped herself, her hand flying to her mouth.

Monica quickly came up behind the two women and yelled her son's name when she saw him being dragged across the pool deck toward them. "JASON!!!! Oh my GOD! Is he alive? What happened?"

Quickly pulling him in the guest house, Max was on the phone after putting him down on the bed. Monica was asking Johnny questions and yelling for Sean, who was on duty, to go to her car and get her medical bag. Audrey quickly rushed to the kitchen to retrieve clean towels and water and start a kettle full of water to boil on the stove. She also started digging through the drawers for supplies having her medical training kick in over her fear for whatever was happening.

Elizabeth just stared as all the commotion went on around her. She watched as Monica and Johnny ripped Jason's shirt from his body. She heard Max telling someone on the phone that Jason had been shot by one of Sorel's men. She heard her Grams rifling through the kitchen drawers yelling out to Monica as Monica barked orders at the guards and the retired nurse. She even was aware when Sean moved her over to a chair and had her sit down after bringing in Monica's medical bag.

The only time she snapped out of her haze was after a good hour, when everything that could be done for Jason had been done and when Sonny was now sitting across from her along with Francis, Spinelli and Bernie. Max and Johnny and Milo were all standing guard in the two room bungalow and Sean was upstairs in Cameron's room in a chair by the window facing the door.

Jason had woken up and Monica was trying to convince him and anyone who would listen that she needed to get him to a hospital. She could not be sure the sketchy stitching she and Audrey had done was sufficient to stop the bleeding and that he could be dying from internal bleeding. No one was willing to take Jason to the hospital and Monica and Audrey had both been warned by Sonny several times that they could tell no one about this situation. Finally Sonny was asking Jason questions and the one thing Elizabeth never expected to hear came from her future husband and father to her two children's mouth.

"Sonny, it was Zander, Sorel's enforcer. Zander Smith was the one that shot me."

Elizabeth promptly fainted.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: I'm not even going to say it. *shakes head in shame* I hope you guys enjoy. You probably need a refresher course. It's archived. I suggest you at least refresh your memory on 31 going forward.

**Chapter 35**

"Jason?" Elizabeth asked as she pushed at Sonny to back away from her.

"Eli…Eliza…beth" Jason tried, straining to get up.

"Lay back down. You have a gun shot wound Jason. You have to lie still." Monica admonished as she pushed her son back into a lying position.

"Jason?" Elizabeth pushed at Sonny's arms again. He was trying to hold her still in the chair and barking orders to Max, Johnny and Milo to get Elizabeth some water and to contact Alexis and Carly to make sure his children were safe.

"Elizabeth…are you okay?" Jason glared at his mother who kept pushing him back onto the mattress and he was so weak that he couldn't fight her.

"Audrey and Sonny are taking care of Elizabeth. You need to relax and lay down Jason." Monica looked at Sonny who had glanced her way. "You see what you've done? My son has a baby on the way and he's in this bed with a hole in his side."

"Now is not the time to do this Monica. Either care for Jason or leave. I can call our doctor over here to take care of Jason."

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" She demanded.

"Oh dear, this isn't helping." Audrey worried as she looked between the mobster and the cardiologist. "I think it's probably best if we get Elizabeth to her room. She needs her rest and Monica needs to…maybe give Jason something to help him sleep."

"No drugs" Jason hoarsely told his mother.

"I know Jason but it would help with the healing if I…"

"No drugs Monica." He said again and she knew he would never allow her to give him antibiotics if she didn't stop arguing with him now.

"I promise. No pain medication or anything that will make you drowsy. But I draw the line at antibiotics." She looked at him sternly. "You have to have antibiotics to stave off the infection. I'll go to the hospital and…"

"Just tell Francis what you need and he'll get it." Sonny interjected and then shielded his eyes from Audrey's shocked stare. "Max, carry Elizabeth to…"

"NO! I won't leave Jason!" She cried trying to push herself up off of the chair but being eight months pregnant and having just passed out from fear and shock, she could not manage to lift herself on her own.

Growing agitated she glared at Johnny who was closest to her. "HELP ME UP DAMMIT!"

"Yes…yes ma'am." Johnny stuttered.

"Johnny, you're older than me. I'm Elizabeth for CHRISTS SAKE. Just help me up and over to Jason." She was already moving as Johnny had held her under each arm and lifted her onto her swollen ankles.

"Jason I said don't move." Monica again admonished.

"I'm moving over for Elizabeth." He grunted as he shifted about six inches over to the right of the bed.

"Well this will never do." Audrey again worriedly looked around. "Elizabeth needs to be in her own bed and Cameron cannot sleep in the house by himself. That strange kid is no kind of guardian."

"Sean is in there with Cameron."

"Well he's no guardian either. He needs his family and I cannot very well be here to tend to Jason and Elizabeth and be there to care for Cameron."

"Elizabeth should go to the house" Jason agreed watching as she moved her way through the room and finally came into his view. He sighed relief at the sight of her porcelain, heart shaped face.

"I'm not leaving you Jason" she replied as she turned to sit down on the bed, exhausted from the exertion of the ten feet she walked from the chair to the bed. "Besides, I'm already here."

"I'll stay here with them. Audrey, you go stay in the house with Cam and Sonny…YOU can leave and take your goons with you."

"Oh my." Audrey said again.

She thought the guards that worked for Jason and Elizabeth were very nice men. Albeit she didn't care for their chosen profession but she wouldn't go so far as to call them names. Francis was a rock for her when Elizabeth cut herself and Max and Milo were great with Cameron, going so far as to put on puppet shows for Cameron. And their manners were impeccable.

Then she had listened as Monica told her story of how Sonny had taken Jason when he was young and confused and rebelling against the control the Quartermaines were trying to keep on their amnesiac son and turned him into a cold blooded killer. It was a tragic story that was appalling and heartbreaking at the same time. She would find herself staring at Jason as he was so tender with Elizabeth or attentive with Cameron. She couldn't reconcile the man she knew with the stories Monica had told her. Aside from the constant presence of the gun at his back, he was hardly what anyone would normally imagine for a killer.

"I'm not leaving Monica and as a matter of fact, Jason…Elizabeth really needs to leave along with Monica and Audrey. We need to talk."

The room erupted.

"NOT NOW SONNY! MY SON HAS BEEN SHOT!" Monica yelled and at the same time

"I'M NOT LEAVING!" Elizabeth yelled.

As well as

"I'M A NURSE AND THIS IS MY GRANDAUGHTER'S HOUSE!" Audrey raised her own voice shocking Elizabeth, Monica and all of the guards.

Sonny held up his hands and backED up a step. "Hey! Don't yell at me. There are things Jason and I need to discuss and none of you can be here for it. Like it or not, Jason may be shot but he still has a job to do or people will die. I'm just trying to avoid it being any one of us or ours."

Jason nodded his head at his partner and boss and turned to Elizabeth who was just settling down next to him and attempting to roll her big belly sideways to face him. He reached out, careful not to grab onto her bandaged hand and smiled weakly. "Baby, I really think you need to go up to the house. You're never comfortable unless you are in our bed."

"But" she started to protest but he cut her off.

"Max, Johnny and Francis will bring me to the house in a few minutes. Monica, you go to the hospital and get the medication I need and also anything Elizabeth can take to keep the stress off of her and the baby. Audrey, you go set up so that you can help both me and Elizabeth in the master bedroom. Milo, you go find Spinelli and get him back here even if you have to drag Maxie with you. Sean stays with Cameron and I want some of the lower guards on the grounds."

"What about Kristina and the boys? Do you think I should add security to them? And Kate?" Sonny asked, finally feeling better now that Jason, his right hand and normally the calm, logical one in the bunch was taking his usual lead.

"I would." Jason said and gripped the comforter beneath him as pain ripped through his body.

"Jason, you can't be moved." Monica instructed again but knew it was useless. Jason had made up his mind.

"You patched me up and if moving me pops a stitch, you'll patch me up again. I really need you all to do this. Sonny and I need to talk and we're not going to do it with you women here. And I want Elizabeth comfortable and she's going to stress herself out if I'm not there with her so I need to get to the main house." He looked up at his mother and his blue eyes sparked concern. "Please."

Fighting the tears that were ready to flow, she bit her lip and sighed. "Fine but I'm not going to the hospital. I'll call your father to bring what I need."

"NO" He shouted. "I don't want Alan to know."

"Jason, I cannot keep something like this from your father. He deserves…"

"He deserves nothing." Sonny spit and Audrey nearly wrenched her neck turning to glare at the Hispanic gangster.

"Mr. Corinthos, I don't know you very well but it seems to me, you are making a judgment call that doesn't concern you. I would think you would do nicely to show respect for your elders and mind your own business. Let Jason and his mother work this family issue out on their own."

Sonny stared at the woman like he was a schoolboy and had just been rapt across the knuckles by the principle. His jaw was slack but he made no move to reply or move. He just stared at the gray haired old woman who in kind, mimicked his astonished glare. She was shaking inside at the thought that she had just scolded the most dangerous man on the East Coast.

"I don't trust Alan." Jason finally broke the silence, looking at his mother.

"I do." Elizabeth murmured and Jason turned his head to see Elizabeth using her one good hand to rub soothing circles over her belly. "He would never do anything that would put you or our family in danger and he would never say anything to anyone that could get Monica's medical license revoked. Besides, if you knew something about Cameron and didn't tell me, I'd never forgive you."

And in that one sentence, Jason knew that he would allow Monica to call Alan, he would follow all three women's instructions…for now…while he healed…and he would tell Elizabeth everything he knew about Steven, Zander and Sorel. Well, at least Steven and Zander's involvement with Sorel.

"Fine. Call Alan. But no one else. Get the women to the house so Sonny and I can talk while Max and Johnny and Francis help me up."

Johnny looked around and decided was a good time to try to lighten the mood. "Looks like we're having a sleep over at Casa De Stone Cold"

~%~%~%~%~%~

"Jason, I know what you've told me, I know what Spinelli has told me and shown me but I still don't believe my brother would do something like that."

"Yes Jason, Steven is a well respected physician in Colorado. He would never work for the mob."

"Audrey, Elizabeth…I know you are having a hard time with this but the fact remains, he has accepted three payments of fifty thousand dollars each from Joseph Sorel. And Zander is the one brokering the transaction."

"Couldn't young Damien be mistaken?" Audrey lifted her delicate hand to her throat. It was too much to digest for her. There was no way her grandson was involved with the mob.

The old woman's eyebrows furrowed and Elizabeth rubbed her stomach and tilted her head at her grandmother's facial expression. "What is it Grams?"

Jason's head turned from watching his beautiful fiancé in the sunlight rocking in her chair next to their king sized bed and rubbing her belly. He loved to watch her rub at the baby. It was such an intimate expression of her love and protection of their child. Since his gunshot wound prevented him from bending over to talk to his child, she had moved to the chair when he woke up so he could see her and talk to the bulging baby.

"Are you remembering something that might be useful?" Jason asked the older woman, reaching for his phone only to have Elizabeth bat his hand away.

"No…no…I was just thinking that there was no way my grandson would be involved in any way with the mob and then realized, I thought that way about Elizabeth too until she met you."

Jason's head fell back to the pillow hard. He knew she did not like his profession. Who would? He also knew that Audrey had tried, in vain, to convince Elizabeth to stay away from him. But he thought they had gotten past that. She was civil and accepting of him because she could see how much Elizabeth and Cameron meant to him. However, since he'd been shot she was one of the main caregivers, seeing up close what his chosen career's disadvantages were, he worried that she would regress and try to convince Elizabeth to leave with her to go back to Colorado.

He looked back at Elizabeth who was lost in her own thoughts. "What are you thinking Elizabeth?"

"That there must be something…some reason why Steven is doing this. He would never do something that would put me and Cam in harms way. He would NEVER EVER want Zander to gain any sort of custody or visitation with Cam. He was so furious with Zander he tried to convince me to leave his name off the birth certificate when Cameron was born and was really upset that I gave Cameron Zander's name as Cam's middle name. It just doesn't make any sense."

"But he did tell me that he was handling things dear. I never imagined it would mean this." Audrey interjected. "There's just no logical reason."

"Except that Sorel is involved and when Sorel is involved, there's usually only one or two reason's behind anything he or his men do. Power and revenge. And Joseph Sorel wants the power that Sonny has. He wants the waterfront and the shipping routes. Sonny and I have worked hard to gain control of them and keep them all of these years."

"But how does that involve me, Cam and my brother?" Elizabeth asked, leaning up when Jason reached out to touch her stomach.

"There's where the revenge comes into play. I think the revenge is against me. I cannot go into the exact reasons behind the revenge but let's just say I managed to ruin major plans he had a few years back. He lost a lot because of me and he's always hated me because of it."

"Well whatever it is, I still don't understand how or why my grandson would be involved."

"Elizabeth, you've told me several times that your brother wants you to move home. Wants you away from me. Maybe this is his way to achieve that goal." Jason tugged at her maternity top to pull her closer. He couldn't reach the far side of her stomach. "Just stand up…come here."

Elizabeth stood and Jason pulled on her top more until she was hovering herself over him, holding onto the headboard for support.

Jason lifted her shirt and leaned his head up just slightly, stretching his lips to kiss her swollen belly. "I love you baby. Daddy loves you so much and can't wait to meet you."

He dropped his head back with a loud grunt. The effort he exuded to just do that was too much and he winced at the pain that shot through him. Audrey walked over to inspect his bandage then used her fingernail to scrape the tape open and leaned in to look at the healing wound.

"You shouldn't do that."

"I don't want the baby to miss me." He replied looking the older woman in the eye.

She smiled back at him and sighed. He really did love her granddaughter and their children. He was so attentive to Cameron and always was touching or talking to the baby when Elizabeth was around. She noticed even when he slept he would have his hand on her stomach and would stir and become restless when she wasn't within reach.

"Well, the more you rest the sooner you'll be able to sit up. Things are looking really good so I'm thinking we try breakfast at the table tomorrow morning. What do you think?"

"I think you and Monica, especially you, have been wonderful. Thank you again for what you're doing." He looked her in the eye and grabbed for her hand when she pulled the blanket up to tuck under his arms. He squeezed her hand and then let go smiling when she looked back into his eyes and winked at him.

"Well, for a mobster, you seem like a really sweet man. I don't really know what to think about that but Monica said I'll get used to it."

"She did huh?" Elizabeth interjected.

"Yes dear, you know Jason, Monica has come to accept your life to an extent. She just wants to know her son and her grandchildren at this point. I think she's given up the idea that you'll ever be…"

"Jason Quartermaine?" He offered in question, knowing that Audrey and Monica had talked in length about him. The man he is and the boy he was.

"Well that too but I was going to say out of the mob and all. But I don't think she'll ever forgive Sonny for his role." She turned and looked out the window lost in thought. "I can see how a man like him can charm anything out of anyone but you just don't seem to be the type to be easily charmed."

"Well, he had something to offer that I really needed at the time." Jason murmured, not comfortable with the conversation but not willing to allow the thought to just hang in the air like he was duped or fooled into his decisions back then.

"Really? And what was that?"

"The opportunity to be my own man. Make my own decisions. Live in a world where my family couldn't control every aspect. Sonny didn't force me into anything. He just allowed me to live and do what made me happy. Back then, the Quartermaines wouldn't let me drive my own car. Audrey, Sonny didn't charm me into anything. He just allowed me my freedom."

"Well I can certainly understand that. And Monica even realizes and admits the mistakes she made back then. I'm just saying that I think…"

"Grams, you need to let Jason and his parents work their own issues out. I believe that was the advice you gave Sonny. You should heed it yourself."

"You're right. I think I'm going to go check on Cameron. He should be ready to wake up from his nap about now. Then I'll get dinner started. How does spaghetti and meatballs sound?"

"Messy" Elizabeth replied.

"It sounds delicious Audrey. And hey, will you send Cameron down here to see me when he wakes up? I haven't seen him all afternoon." Jason asked as his hand instinctively went toward Elizabeth's belly again once she sat back in the rocking chair.

"Like I could keep that boy away from you." Audrey cracked as she walked out the door, quietly closing it behind her.

~%~%~%~%~%~

Jason was feeling much better. It was two days after Christmas and he'd been up and moving easily without becoming tired from overexertion for the past day. Five days since he'd been shot.

He'd decided to go into the office for a little while at Audrey and Elizabeth's protests. But he just couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be something they were missing. Some piece of the puzzle that was right in front of them and they just couldn't recognize it. He wanted to talk to Sonny and Elizabeth had made it clear after they had their pow-wow with their top guards after he'd been shot, that it was the only time she would allow for any of THAT type of business to be handled in her home around her children.

Jason agreed and had promised her a long time ago that his business would never come home with him but Elizabeth knew that sometimes that just wasn't feasible. Yet he and Spinelli had been rather successful in keeping it to a minimum and he certainly wasn't going to intentionally go against his promise when he could easily spend the day in Sonny's office. The couch in there was comfortable and he could even take a nap in the back room if he needed to.

Even though it was their first Christmas together, his injury and her incresingly more difficult pregnancy overshadowed the festivities. Yet, they still made it special.

Cameron had been so excited. Against Elizabeth's wishes, Jason gave Spinelli a dog anyway. She was a mixed breed they rescued from the pound. Jason had already made the arrangements prior to his getting shot and Johnny handled picking up the dog on Christmas Eve.

Audrey was instrumental in naming the girl. She was a darling adult dog and Audrey couldn't stop saying how precious she was so Spinelli simply named her Precious once his suggestions of Niamh, the Celtic Goddess of Beauty, and Cerridwen, the Welsh Goddess of Luck were both shot down quickly by Jason and Elizabeth. Mostly because there was no need to encourage the young man's strange fixation on naming things after mythological characters.

The female dog had a brother that the shelter discouraged separate adoptions but with Elizabeth in her eighth month, Popeye, which Cameron named, was too wild and was staying with Johnny until he was fully trained and the baby was born.

Elizabeth gave up her fight with her future husband when she heard the story of the two animals. They were both found after Katrina hit New Orleans. Their owner had tried to wait out the storm and died. The two dogs kept vigil by her side until search and recovery members of the National Guard found her. One of the men in the unit feared because of the two dogs' pedigree, one a boxer and one a pitt, that they would be euthanized since there were so many displaced animals in the region because of the disaster. He shipped them home to Port Charles to live with his parents. Within a year, his father had died and his mother was put into an assisted living facility and he had been shipped overseas as a communications specialist in the War in Iraq. He had no choice but to give up the dogs.

Knowing the loyalty the two dogs had shown for their previous owner, she relented but insisted that the dogs be fully trained. Jason happily agreed and set Spinelli out to hire a specialist that could train them not only in obedience but also in security.

So Jason walked into Sonny's office with Precious on her leash. Sonny looked up and scowled for the second time that day at the menacing animal attached to his equally menacing enforcer. His disdain for the dog was because when she first arrived earlier that morning, she jumped up with her front paws on the desk and stretched over and licked Sonny from chin to hairline before he even knew what hit him.

Johnny, Max and Jason all got a good laugh out of the affection the mafia Don was receiving from whom they were now referring to as "Sonny's Bitch". So seeing the dog walk back into his office after her first training lesson with the obedience and attack dog trainer, he felt it necessary to glower at his number two.

"Send that mutt home with Milo or something. I don't want her here." He groused from behind his desk.

Precious, clearly hurt, whined and ducked her head.

"Jeez Sonny, she understands you. She's not a mutt and she has feelings." Diane Miller spoke up reaching her hand out to pet the girl. "Don't you pretty girl."

"She's a dog Diane. And why are you so friendly. I thought you hated animals."

"Well, maybe I'm getting soft in my thirties."

Jason and Sonny both stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "Ah…Diane?" Sonny asked.

"Oh all right, my early forties."

Jason laughed and shook his head.

"Mid forties and that's my final offer. Take it or LEAVE IT ALONE BOYS!" She retorted as she opened her briefcase to pull some documents needing both of their signature. "Jason, these are the final papers for your new will. It provides for the new baby as well as Cameron and will only need a codicil to list the baby's given name and social security number when he or she is born."

"Thank you Diane." He smiled and pulled the file folder from her hand.

"And Sonny, these are the plans for the expansion for the Stone Cates Memorial AIDS wing of General Hospital. Bernie has already looked over them and initialed his approval. I just need your signatures where indicated and we can contact Moretti Construction to start drilling as they say. Jason, tell Elizabeth she did a beautiful job designing the reflection pond. It's simply breathtaking on paper so I can imagine it will be even more beautiful in three dimension."

"Wait…we went with Moretti instead of Pucinelli?" Jason asked, suddenly his interest in the charity renovations and expansion they had agreed to donate to the hospital over a year ago was peaked. "That's why Sorel is rearing his ugly head now."

"What do you mean Jason?"

"Diane, I think you may not want to be in here for this. If you can wait in the café?...and send Max in here please?"

"Sure Jason." Diane smiled, knowing that as their legal representation, the only reason Jason would not want her present is when he's admitting guilt in an illegal activity. As their lawyer, she had always demanded honestly or silence. And sometimes silence from the two allegedracketeers was what she preferred.

Ignorance is bliss.

Once Diane left and Max was in the room, Jason sat on the couch, favoring his side and scratching behind Precious' ear. Sonny eyed the dog on his leather sofa but said nothing, choosing to move around to lean against the front of his desk.

"So what is it Jason."

"It's the missing piece of the puzzle. We understood everything so far except two things, why now with Sorel. I mean its not like he hasn't hated me for ten years for killing his right hand man and reducing his power to nearly nothing. And the other puzzle, how Steven Webber played a part in this."

"What are you thinking?"

"Well, Moretti is a rival company for Pucinelli Construction both are union and of course the cartel controls the unions but what you forgot Sonny is that Vinnie Pucinelli is Sorel's brother in law. His sister Mary Katherine is married to the guy. One of the functionss of Pucinelli Construction is a front of Sorel's to launder his drug money."

"Damn…that never crossed my mind." Sonny shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"But what does the Doc have to do with this?" Max asked, moving to sit in the chair at Sonny's left.

"Well, I don't know for sure. Maybe his job was to aid in the medical logistics of the expansion. Pucinelli came at us with some really sound presentations. You even said one time that they must have hired a doctor to help them with their bid. Steven is a well respected doctor and would also have first hand knowledge of one key factor."

"Elizabeth." Sonny breathed as he smacked his head with his hand. "Damn it…why didn't we see that?"

"I don't get it?" Max said shifting in his chair to reach over and scratch under Precious' jowls.

"Elizabeth has been working less at the Art Gallery since Mrs. Rigby went into remission and wanted to do something useful so I suggested she help design the expansion. She's been sketching plans and I know she's talked to her brother on several occasions about equipment and such to help her plan, with the architect, the needed facilities and space needed."

"But how would Sorel…or Pucinelli know that? And how would he be able to use that to his advantage?" Max asked.

"He wouldn't unless he was already planning to…" Sonny stopped and looked up at his second in command.

Jason's eyebrow raised at Sonny and he looked over at Max. "He was hoping his brother in law would get the contract and have access to Elizabeth. Maybe even, knowing Sorel, plan to use her as leverage to get us to give up some of our territory for his own purposes."

"But how did he know and what leverage would he have with Elizabeth aside from the obvious?" Max again was confused.

"He obviously did his homework Max." Sonny answered for Jason. "The only weapon he has against Jason at this point would be Elizabeth. He probably had an easy time finding out who Elizabeth was and who her family was. Audrey would be of no help and he couldn't just walk right up to Elizabeth because you guards would have shot him on site. But it's no coincidence that Zander Smith is his Enforcer…or at least one of them, and Zander would know how protective Steven is over his sister."

Sonny stood and started pacing the room, biting at the corner of his lip. "Zander making waves about the adoption would distract Jason from the real threat. Vinnie Pucinelli. With Jason worrying about Zander stopping the adoption, he wouldn't see Vinnie sidling up to Elizabeth. Once he had his in with Elizabeth, who knows what they had planned. Maybe kidnapping or inserting a mole in our organization somehow. Placing listening devices or camera's in models of the new wings or even possibly gaining access to Jason's home through Elizabeth's involvement with the project."

"Right. And I'd bet my last dime that you made the decision to go with Moretti the day I got shot." Jason said standing and rubbing his hand across his face. "You didn't hire his brother in law's company so to distract all of us, he simply attacked Jason."

"But why would Elzibeth's brother agree to do something like this?" Max finally asked the question everyone had been pondering.

Jason sighed, "It's simple. To get Elizabeth away from me. He probably promised Steven money for his troubles or better yet, to point us in the wrong direction if we caught on. Or something…I haven't figured the money part out yet. But I bet he promised he'd make sure Elizabeth never wanted to be involved in this life, practically hand delivering her back to her family in Colorado."

"But she loves you. She'd never leave you."

"But if I'm dead, then what is there to leave?" Jason asked lifting his t-shirt to remind Max of the bullet hole that luckily missed his vital organs by millimeters.

Sonny stopped and turned around. "Jason, he's been quiet since. I don't like it."

"Yeah, me either. What's his back up plan to this?"

All of a sudden, Sonny slammed his hand down on his desk. "Your future brother in law is working his own angle. What if he wasn't approached but was the one that did the approaching."

Jason slumped back down onto the couch, grimacing when the pain shot through him from the force of his fall. "And he was the one that set Zander on the path to block the adoption. The money from Zander could show a judge Zander had been paying HIM support for Elizabeth and Cameron."

"That's right…Elizabeth told Shiree that if she didn't have her brother to rely on, she would have been homeless quite a few times." Max added.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Jason yelled. "He's playing right into Sorel's hands because he wants me away from Elizabeth and her kids. MY KIDS!"

"Jason, don't get all riled up." Sonny soothed. "We don't know if what we are thinking is fact or fiction."

The two truly played well against the other. When one was in crisis, the other had let the cooler head prevail. It's just that usually it was the other way around. But throughout the years, Jason had his fair share of urges to go off all half cocked without thinking things through. Michael was living proof of that. And so was marrying Brenda.

"It's his own sister Sonny. I mean, I don't give a rats ass that he doesn't like me and honestly, I wouldn't want Emily in this life but…"

"He doesn't know you Jason. You said yourself that Audrey was just now warming up to you and you remember when Elizabeth found out. they don't have mafia presence in Bum Fuck, Colorado. It's all The Godfather and The Soprano's to them."

"You're Luca Brasi and I'm Al Neri" Max said excitedly.

"Who?" Jason asked.

"Luca Brasi, the Corleone Enforcer. And I'm Al Neri, Sonny Corleoni's bodyguard. Which is kind of funny because I AM Sonny's bodyguard."

"Max, shut up and quit with the Godfather references." Sonny spat.

"Sorry Boss." Max smiled timidly. Sonny knew Max could recite The Godfather word for word. All three movies. He'd told Sonny a million times over about the movie and would relate it to Sonny's organization.

It pissed Sonny off every time but the lunkhead never seemed to learn.

"So what's our plan" Jason pulled everyone's attention back to him as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"We need to find Elizabeth's brother and quick. We need to know just how much of a threat Doctor Steven Webber is."

Just then Jason's phone rang. It was Elizabeth. "Hey babe, how's everything?"

"Great news honey! I just spoke to Steven. He's in town. He said he'd be here in ten minutes. Now you can talk to him and then you'll realize what Grams and I already know, there's no way my brother would be involved with Sorel."

Jason looked up at Sonny. That was way too easy.


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: I'm so glad I didn't get pummeled by you guys for the time it took me to update Ch 35 of this story. I make WAY too many promises I don't keep. I am grateful for all of your understanding. In this chapter I need to make a comment. First and foremost, I am horrible at action writing. I'm a fluff and smut kind of girl. I'm always so impressed by those that write action scenes with such brilliance and flair. I'm afraid I don't have that talent. Also, for all those women AND men who have actually had kids, I'm talking about the day to day changes in pregnancy, etc…I have never experienced that. Please bear with me if in this story and specifically this chapter, I totally screw things up. Some things just plain won't make sense. Sorry. I tried.

**Chapter 36**

Jason had never driven so fast in his life. He pushed his motorcycle to limits he'd never reached before. His mind raced at the implications of Steven's arrival. The first day he ventured away from the house. The first day HE was not there to protect Elizabeth and Cameron from Sorel and what he now knew were Sorel's employees with their own agenda. People Elizabeth didn't feel threatened by. People with blood ties to HIS little boy.

He slowed down as he turned onto Harborview Road and then crouched down to reduce wind resistance and sped up to tear past sixty-six, the Quartermaine estate, aiming for his own. He saw in his side mirror that Max was furiously trying to keep up with him. He nearly wrecked and had to pull the brakes, kick back and down shift when tearing around a corner suddenly Milo and Francis were in front of him heading toward _Casa De Stone Cold_ as well. He knew Sonny would have called them while riding shotgun through the streets of Port Charles in Max's SUV. Sonny would have called in the entire organization within a fifty mile radius by now.

As they neared the house, Jason had to slow down and then swerve around to the left of Francis' truck when his top Lieutenant stopped abruptly. He accelerated toward the fountain at the entrance, seeing from his side mirror that Francis had stopped long enough to let Milo jump out.

That only meant one thing. The guard at the gate was down or missing. Jason didn't know which and at this point it didn't matter. The entire guard staff at his home would have most likely been alerted of the threat by now. He didn't make the call but there were two other men in the room with him and surely Max or Sonny contacted the six men he had on the grounds.

Cody was guarding the house and was assigned to Elizabeth for the day. She wasn't going anywhere, or at least hadn't planned on it. If there was only one guard assigned to his future wife and child and his adopted son, it would only be one of four men. Milo wasn't even trusted enough by Jason when a threat was leveled at the organization. He was too green. Cody was one of those four men along with Johnny, Francis and Max. He trusted Cody with his life. And Elizabeth, Cameron and the baby WERE his life.

He skidded around the fountain and stopped, his back tire gliding out from under him as pebbles from the circular driveway kicked up and a cloud of dust lifted waist high then settled. The back tire hit the red non-descript sedan with the Avis rental sticker on it with a thud and Jason jumped out of the way with only one thing on his mind.

Steven was already here.

He let the bike fall against the car and reached behind him for his Glock as he ran up the few steps to the entrance of the house. His mind was racing and even HE told himself that he was not following the protocol he expected of all of his men in a situation like this. By the time he reached it, Francis and Max's vehicles were both skidding to a stop on either side of the rental vehicle, effectively blocking it in. Maneuvers to the letter to disallow the enemy an easy escape.

Jason tried the door and when it was unlocked, he slid sideways and peered in the tiny window that was to the side of the door to see if he could see anyone. Instantly his eyes landed on Elizabeth who was wringing her hands. Then a man with blond curly hair and a dark jacket blocked her view and Jason rushed in clicking the bullet into the chamber and aiming the gun down into the family room point blank bulls eye being between the man's ears.

"Who are you and why are you in my home?" Jason growled and he noticed his men and Sonny all rushed in and encircled the room with their guns drawn as well. Then he ordered, "Turn around slowly or your brains will be splattered all over this room."

"Jason NO!" Elizabeth yelled and suddenly she was standing in front of the blond holding her arms out to her sides.

"Get out of the way Elizabeth." Jason ordered.

Max moved across the room and suddenly disappeared from view when something caught his attention in the kitchen. Then the younger guard yelled, "CODY'S DOWN"

At that point Milo ran in and all guns turned and pointed to him from the sudden intrusion and the youngest of Sonny and Jason's top men skidded across the foyer to a stop with his hands raised and fear in his eyes. All except for Jason's. Jason's weapon never faltered in its aim on the man he considered a threat to his fiancé and his child.

"Bill at the gate is dead. So is Perry who's assigned to the west grounds. I didn't check for the rest but since we haven't heard from any of the crew assigned to your house today Jason, I think we can assume they're all dead."

Quickly all guns pointed back at Steven again and the obvious click of Sonny and Francis' guns caused the doctor to pale to the point of death.

"Who's here with you? I know you didn't manage to take out all of my men yourself." Sonny's low, steady voice penetrated through the house.

He lowered his weapon knowing his four men certainly didn't need his help. He was the one who gave the order to shoot. Not the actual shooter himself. Not that he didn't keep his aim sharp just in case.

"You better speak because I have no patience right now." Sonny kept his weapon ready and in his hand but relaxed his stance and moved his jacket to the side to rest his free hand on his hip.

Steven turned to look at Sonny and Elizabeth followed in front of her brother, again blocking him as if to protect him from harm. Max appeared at the three steps that led from the kitchen. "Cody's not dead. He's out cold though." Then he asked the question everyone was wondering, "Where's Cameron and Mrs. Hardy?"

Tears were steadily streaming down Elizabeth's face and Jason could do nothing but concentrate on that fact. "Elizabeth, I want you to come here honey." He used a soothing voice. Whatever was going on, she was terrified and Cameron and her Grams were missing. And she was defending her brother which made sense but not at this point when all of her friends, men she trusted, were pointing a gun at the man.

"Jason I can't. I'm…" She broke down and bent over, her belly stopping her from bending down too far. Steven bent with her and held her to steady her even though that move caused Max, Milo and Francis to all take a step closer with their guns still aimed.

She buried her face in her hands and when she turned slightly, Francis noticed the wire that was attached to her.

"Jason, she's wired." Francis said suddenly and the top man, second only to Jason and Johnny, then moved to get a closer inspection. "It's attached somehow to her brother."

Jason's blood boiled and his face turned red from anger. "You better start fucking talking Steven."

"Jason…" Elizabeth started pushing at his hands when he came up to her and went to pull her away from her brother. "If you separate me and Steven, Grams will die."

Jason looked down at her face and then back up at her brother. "What the fuck have you done?"

"I…I…didn't…I wouldn't…I mean…"

Again, Jason raised the gun, this time putting it right between his eyes. "**You better start making some sense** **NOW!" **Jason yelled.

"Jason…you gotta calm down baby." Elizabeth placed her fingers on his forearm and pulled at it to get him to lower his gun. "We're wired together but Steven didn't do it."

"But whoever did came here with you didn't he?" Jason asked and Steven's face fell in shame.

"I didn't know he was planning this." Steven admitted.

"Who?" Sonny asked.

"No wait..." Jason interrupted. "Where the fuck is my son?"

"I'll be glad to answer that question for you Mr. Morgan." A voice from the upstairs bellowed through the room and all eyes turned to see Joseph Sorel standing on the top step with a sleeping Cameron in his arms and a gun pointed to the child's head. "But first I think we all need to lower our weapons to the floor and take three steps back from them."

Jason was the first to drop down into a crouch and place his gun on the floor. He then stepped back the three steps. Sonny, Milo, Francis and Max all followed suit.

"Good…good. Very smart. Now, since I know every one of you have more weapons on you, especially you Mr. Morgan, why don't you all raise your hands above your heads and back up against the walls. Remember, I have a gun on Elizabeth's child. And each of you knows I'll use it." He laughed and then his sinister grin faded. "I don't follow the same rules as you. I feel women and children are great bargaining tools."

"What do you want Sorel?" Sonny asked as he followed suit and raised his hands above his head and threaded his fingers together. He stepped back and within four steps his back was against the wall that separated the family room from the master bedroom.

"In due time. Right now, I need to make sure all of you will be cooperating with me. You were a smart man to have your ex wife take a trip with the boys. And my friendship with Jerry Jax and his relationship with DA Davis has caused me to remove your daughter from the equation as well. Therefore, my only other options were for Mr. Morgan's family to become the chip I bargain with."

He turned his head and gave a quick nod and suddenly two huge men, one of which Jason recognized, came from behind Sorel and moved into the room to gather the wealth of weapons, starting with the most dangerous Corinthos men first. Jason and Francis.

Once their arsenal was removed from their person as well as their cell phones, the two men moved on to Max, Milo and Sonny. Then Sorel instructed one of the men to escort Francis, Max and Milo to the guest house and lock them out there with another guard to ensure the men don't leave. He then told them to leave Sonny and Jason's cell phones with him.

Once the men were gone and Sorel had instructed everyone else to take a seat, all except for Steven and Elizabeth who were still wired together, Sorel started making his demands. As time wore on, Jason noticed Elizabeth becoming more and more weary. Her body had been stiff from fear for nearly an hour. And that was just since he had arrived and Jason worried for her and the baby. She'd been rubbing intensely at the side of her belly for the past ten minutes.

"So you see Sorel, that's why I cannot give you the docks, the piers or the warehouses. I'll never put myself in a position to be that weak." Sonny was finishing and Sorel sighed.

"I didn't want to do this Sonny. You should just have given over the piers when I asked politely. Now I think I'll have to prove that I'm not kidding." He clicked the gun so a bullet fell into the chamber of the forty five and Elizabeth screamed and then doubled over.

~%~%~%~%~%~

Spinelli and Maxie had a wonderful time in the city. Coney Island had been a blast and he was exhausted. It was a great gift from Jason and Elizabeth for Christmas. Use of the Corinthos jet meant a thirty minute flight so they were able to spend the whole day playing instead of half of it traveling. His Mini Cooper drove through the gates of Casa De Stone Cold and he absentmindedly waved at the guard never noticing who was on duty. He hit the button and pulled into the garage, wondering why there was a red car in the driveway.

Not bothering to ponder whose car it was because he was too tired to think, he ambled out of his car and walked through the door that led to the house from the garage and hung his set of keys on the wooden key shaped mount on the hook under his name. Grasshopper. Another joke he and Elizabeth played on "Master" whose hook was two to the left of his. He smiled remembering Elizabeth painting it and him hanging it for her. He was always so genuinely thrilled when Jason or Elizabeth did things that made him feel like this was his home too. He headed straight to the little office tucked underneath the stairs that housed all of his tech equipment.

"Greetings family unit." He announced as he clicked on the power strip to boot his computer.

No one said anything which initially he thought odd but when he looked up he noticed a stranger sitting on the love seat next to Elizabeth and Jason on the opposite couch with Cameron on his lap, holding a book.

Shakily, Elizabeth cleared her throat and then spoke, "Spinelli, this is my brother Steven Webber."

Shock flashed over Spinelli's face and he shot a quick glance at his master. When the stern look suddenly was forced neutral he immediately smiled brightly and walked toward the man with his hand extended. "Pleasured acquaintances. The sibling of the Maternal One is a most welcomed surprise."

The two men shook hands and then Spinelli stepped back and looked over at Jason. Then down at Cameron. His brows furrowed. "Tis Thundercat Thursday Littlest Dude. It seems you've forgotten."

Jason changed the subject. "I'm reading the Cat In the Hat to Cam. Are you in for the night? Maybe you'd prefer to do it."

"Uh…no. Fair Maximista wanted me to meet her for a late rendezvous atop the stone towers underneath the Royal gaze. I promised I'd meet her there in one hour after I came home to check my email and such."

Jason looked up at the clock and nodded his head. "Okay. Why don't you go by and pick up Precious at the warehouse and then stay at Maxie's? I left your new puppy there because I was on the bike. With Audrey here and Steven, there's really no other room available for you."

"Uh…sure Stone Cold. The grasshopper relishes the chance of one more night with his lady love. You've now given me understandable cause to…well…the Littlest One has no need to be apprised of the things Maxie and I do on our sleepovers." He clicked on his computer once more and muttered "No news is good news." Then turned to Steven giving a deep bow.

"It was an extreme pleasure meeting the brother of the Maternal One. I only hope you'll stick around so that I may get to know you more."

With that, Spinelli left the house the same way he came in and grabbed his keys from the rack and left into the garage.

Seconds later, he came back into the room with a backpack and a duffel bag. "Fairest Elizabeth, I beseech you to refrain from yelling at me because once again I leave my paraphernalia about. I shall do my laundry tomorrow and no sense lugging it up and then back down the stairs. Master, I picked up that gift you wanted me to get while in the city. It's in my back pack. Enjoy the Hat Upon the Cat Littlest Dude."

And Spinelli blew out of the house a second time just as quickly as he blew in. Jason gave a look at Elizabeth and she knew suddenly, everything would be okay.

~%~%~%~%~%~

Sonny was pacing on top of Harbor View Towers waiting for Spinelli to arrive. The boy insisted upon going to get the stupid dog on his way. Sonny, however, was not as patient and had screamed at the top of his lungs to any of his men in his path while he stomped through his old penthouse buildings garage, to the special elevator that led to the top floor. Up the set of stairs that led to the roof top and then on the rooftop while he paced waiting for Spinelli.

When Spinelli showed up he had his carrier bag and another duffel bag in tow. Precious immediately ran up to the mafia don and licked his hand. "Quit it you mangy mutt."

"Mr. Sir. My Precious is neither mangy nor a mutt. She's from one of the most noble lines of pedigree and I think she's going to be most helpful in this our greatest mission. Her guard of Mr. Sir when he is left without his muscular militia. Her loyalty knows no end and it appears she has quite the favor for you Mr. Sir." Spinelli smiled and watched the dog Milo had called and informed him earlier as being newly renamed "Sonny's Bitch" rubbed her head against his pant leg and pushed at his hand again with her nose wanting him to pet her again. "As it were, it was a directive the Grasshopper fielded from his own Master."

"How'd you know to call me on my other cell phone Spinelli?" Sonny changed the subject because he could already feel his blood pressure rising from listening to the geek.

"Thundercat Thursday Mr. Sir." He replied as if that explained everything.

"What?" The Hispanic man asked with ire in his voice.

"Thundercat Thursday. You see, even if I hadn't noticed the wire behind The Maternal one, I picked up on Stone Colds cryptic messages, one being that HE was going to READ The Cat in the Hat to the Littlest Dude even though EVERYONE knows that The Maternal One always recites if from memory and the other being that The Sadistic Sibling and the Gracious Granny were there so there were no more rooms for me when there's a guest room, a guest house and a playroom above the garage. Plenty of room for everyone. But Cameron Alexander Webber is a creature of habit much as myself. You see Mr. Sir on Sunday tis Spongebob Sunday and Monday is for Mickey Mouse. Tuesdays are Timmy Turner Tuesday, Wednesdays are Power Ranger day because there are no cartoons or Superheros we like that start with a "W", Phineus and Ferb Friday and Superman Saturday. So therefore when on a Thursday evening the Littlest Dude is not wearing his Thundercat Thursday pajamas, I KNOW there's trouble."

"Let me see if I understood this. You're telling me that you KNEW that there was trouble just because a little boy dressed himself in different pajamas for the night?"

"OH NO!" Spinelli protested then he smiled sheepishly at the mafia don. "Although I must say I am most impressed that you deciphered my elucidation without presage of impairment to my most frail figure." He heard before he saw Sonny's aggravation building and took a step back, further from within the older man's reach. "But I digress and notice I've tread too far beyond your limited patience with the Jackal. Um…yes…I then noticed that our newest addition was not within our happy home and Jason told me to go pick her up then spend the night with Maximista. It was the pajamas, the book, the wire and well all of those things combined that alerted me to the ensuing trouble. For I know that Stone Cold is training my four legged companion to protect me or anyone necessary when he is unable to. Plus the fact that as of early this morning when Maxie and I left for Coney Island, I had informed Jason yet again that Elizabeth's brother was most certainly involved in nefarious activities with Joseph Sorel."

"I don't know what to say." Sonny shook his head as he shoved his hand deep in his pocket. The kid made no sense but God help him, he knew what he was doing. "When are you going to be able to…"

He was cut off at the sound of Jason's voice. It was crackled and muffled through the computer but still it was audible. Spinelli checked his watch and smiled. "I alerted Jason I understood by letting him know that I would be meeting Maxie underneath the Royal Gaze…" Spinelli pointed to the billboard.

"The king of autoloans?" Sonny shook his head.

"Yes under the royal gaze atop the stone tower which is of course Harbor View Towers. We had a special transceiver installed on the rooftop. Since it used to be the most secured building in the State of New York it was where Stone Cold instructed me I should always go to assist in the way of remote tech support." Spinelli stopped and looked at his own watch. Pointing to the screen he affirmed. "You should hear that The Grasshopper and his Master are more in tune than you realize in five, four, three, two, one."

"Since we have to just sit here and I cannot sit next to my fiancé…can I at least give her the gift I had my…Spinelli pick up for her. I had planned to give it to her tonight as a special gift for being so brave after your men shot me."

Sorel's voice boomed through the laptops speakers indicating he was probably sitting in the chair next to the duffel bag. "Sure Mr. Morgan. So I finally get it. He's like your butler or your errand boy. Some of us were starting to wonder before Miss Webber came along. I mean Sonny's sister could have easily been a front. A young boy living with an older man. Rumor had it that maybe you had a little sugar in the tank if you know what I mean. I mean the brain damage could have left you a little more confused than anyone realized."

The mobster laughed at his own joke but no one else did. "He's certainly no threat since he shot himself in the foot. It's quite interesting how you've taken in the little nerd. He's useless and my sources tell me that your boss has told you on several occasions to get rid of him. It's proof you have a heart after all."

Spinelli gaped at Sonny wide eyed and Sonny just shrugged. There was no need to deny the accusation when Spinelli himself had been present during many of the ignored instructions Sonny had given Jason to send the boy packing. And the rumor that the two roommates were lovers was something Sonny had brought up to Jason years ago and Jason just shrugged it off. He never cared what people thought or said about him. So Sonny never played into the rumors allowing for his partner to deal with them on his own.

"Spinelli's a good kid. He has no one. I know what that's like. And you'd be wise to remember that to me, he is like my little brother. Now he said the gift I asked him to pick up for me is in the backpack." Jason kept his composure and rustling could be heard as Spinelli and Sonny watched the computer monitor as the video camera's Spinelli had installed in the house booted up and showed Sorel walk the backpack over to Jason.

"Good. He went for it without question." Spinelli murmured.

Sonny was surprised at Spinelli's NON Spinelli speak. "Went for what?"

"I told Stone Cold that I would meet Maximista here in an hour. Jason knew that was the time it would take for me to get set up. We've had these precautions set up for ages. Codes that we each recognize and know how to decipher and then tech devices. When The Maternal One was added to our nuclear familial unit, I purchased something specifically for her."

"Is that?" Sonny squinted his eyes and leaned closer to the screen. "Earrings and a necklace?"

"Yes Sir Mr. Sir. And what you didn't notice was that Jason took something from the box and then scratched his ear. Stone Cold? Can you hear the Jackal?"

Sonny watched as Jason nodded his head imperceptibly.

"Son of a bitch!" Sonny scrubbed at his face as he let out a sigh of relief. "Tell him that Johnny is on the outside of the compound with ten of our men ready for my signal."

"Good" Jason said having heard Sonny, and then added to cover his comment and also show approval "They're perfectly set." Sonny and Spinelli watched as Jason turned the jewelry box toward Elizabeth. "Elizabeth I found these Amethyst earrings and then had this Amethyst pendant made to look like a pacifier. Since the baby is due in mid February, I figured it was safe to go ahead and give you a gift with the baby's birthstone."

"Oh Jason…it's…they're beautiful." She murmured and she moved forward to kiss him.

"Ah..ah..ah…" Sorel shook his finger and his head in disapproval. "If you lean forward, you may pull the wire and then your Dearest Grandmother will be blown to smithereens."

"You are the worst kind of man." Steven growled as he looked up to Sorel who was standing over Jason's shoulder as he knelt down in front of Elizabeth.

"And yet, you readily agreed to help me out when you thought it would only be the Corinthos Organization that was taken out and you would have your darling sister and her children back in Colorado with you."

"I had only my sister and her children's safety in mind and you tricked me."

"Shut up Steven." Elizabeth shot back over her shoulder at her brother. "YOU are the worst of them all because YOU thought it would be okay to take away the only man I've ever loved."

"Elizabeth…honey…don't pay attention to them." Jason leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers and reached out to rub his hand across her belly.

It looked like a loving gesture but Jason was feeling for the detonator that was attached to her. When he found it he measured it as best he could for size. He then patted Elizabeth's side to try to reassure her. Then he moved his hand across her stomach again. "Has the baby calmed down? Have the cramps stopped?"

"Yes, the water helped." She smiled timidly.

At least Steven was good for one thing and when his sister doubled over with cramps, he knew it was because she was dehydrated and one of Sorel's men got her a bottle of water. That scream had of course woken Cameron and Sorel explained to the man that he was Uncle Joe. Cameron had no clue what was going but didn't trust the man at all and hadn't said ten words since. Somehow sensing that he had to be quiet. He simply sat on the couch most of the time clinging to Jason. Jason worried because of his behavior if Sorel had given him some sort of sedative.

"Put these on. Do you want me to put on the necklace?" He smiled brightly at her and winked.

She nodded her head and he pulled the necklace from the box and clasped it around her neck, making sure to hit the toggle when he did so. Elizabeth clipped the earrings in her ears and did the same.

"Maternal One? Tis I, the Jackal. Can you hear me?" Spinelli whispered.

"Yes, this was the perfect gift to give me Jason. I can just hear everyone's reaction to such a thoughtful gift now. I love you." She smiled alerting Jason and Spinelli that she could now hear Spinelli for instructions if needed.

"Good, I shall turn your microphone off since you are so close to The Sadistic Sibling. I'll be with you every step of the way and instruct you as needed. Be strong. Stone Cold and the Jackal will never fail you."

Jason smiled. He could hear Spinelli whispering his own encouragement to his fiancé and was grateful for the kid more than words could ever say. Over the years Spinelli had proven that his technical support had saved Jason time and time again and this time would be no different.

Sonny watched in awe as Spinelli clicked and typed and then started speaking to Jason. "Okay, the heat seeking devices on the compound are working. There are three people IN the guest house."

"That's Max, Milo and Francis. Can you tell if they are still alive?" Sonny interjected as he watched Jason sit back down on the couch at Sorel's instruction. Cameron was asleep next to him and his hand instinctually moved to rub soothing circles on the little boys back.

"Uh…yes they are moving about the room. There are two men surrounding the cottage. One at the back door and one at the front. The only way they could get out of there is to go through them. Two men are at the gate and one, two, three, four, five, six…six men are along the perimeter of the compound at various intervals."

"Sorel is a stupid man. He should have known better than to let me go." Sonny hit send and murmured to Johnny who answered on the first ring. "There's only six men surrounding the grounds. Two men on the gate and two men on the guest cottage. That's where the Giambetti's and Francis are. Get them first. They'll be able to assist better inside the house since they know it like the back of their hand."

Jason spoke up. "Sonny should be calling soon with his offer."

"He will prove his loyalty to you and his top Lieutenants when he leaves the penthouse with the papers ready to hand over ownership of the Piers and Warehouses along Barristers Wharf. It amazes me that you two idiots still use those penthouses to conduct business. You don't even guard the building anymore."

"Yeah well, hide it in plain site is a favorite saying of mine." Jason replied. "But you know Sonny won't let you get away with this."

"And how can he not?" Sorel asked. "If he doesn't hand over the deeds, I kill you, your family and those three guards out there. I'm not a stupid man Mr. Morgan. I know that without you and Mr. Correlli, Sonny no longer has his strong arms to enforce his will. And when he DOES hand over the deeds, I'll have the power to keep him in line, not only through the size of my territory but my controlling stake with the Five Families."

"So you didn't need me after all." Steven piped in.

"Oh no, that's where you are wrong. It would have been much easier had you convinced your sister and your grandmother to go with you as soon as you arrived today. See Doctor Webber, I am not intentionally a cruel man. I have a mother and sisters too. I have a nephew and his son that mean the world to me. I understand your devotion to your family. I had hoped you would be able to remove them from this and then I could sit and wait for Mr. Morgan to show up. He'd have believed me that I had them all along and you could have been in Colorado before all of this came down."

"But since my sister fought me you decided to strap a bomb to my Grandmother and hold us hostage while my sister is eight months pregnant?"

"The bomb was attached to your grandmother AFTER we drugged her. It was a sedative that you yourself approved for Elizabeth so there should be no harm to come to your grandmother. As long as I get what I want. And keeping you two together was so that Mr. Morgan here couldn't protect his lovely bride to be without protecting you too. That's too much to handle along with a toddler so it only made sense. Keep you two together and it keeps Jason here in line." The man laughed. "You see…it's genius. I'll get my deeds and you Mr. Morgan will let me leave while you work, without Mr. Correlli's expertise, to defuse the bomb. For if dear _Grams_ were to blow up, your little darling would never forgive you."

Sonny could see that Jason was getting angry and as calm and patient as Jason was, Sonny knew the one thing that could make him explode was Elizabeth's safety.

He leaned into the microphone Spinelli had set up and spoke calmly. "Jason, you need to calm down. Like I said, Johnny and the boys are there. We're assessing the situation now and we'll have everything under control in a matter of hours."

"Minutes" Jason growled and Sorel looked at him puzzled.

"What was that Mr. Morgan?"

"Nothing" He replied.

Elizabeth wrung her hands knowing that Jason had just given Spinelli and whoever else a clue. Of course she didn't know what it was.

"Alright Jason. I'll instruct Johnny to move. As soon as I give the signal, you need to make your move in the house. There's still only the two, Sorel and his man, in the house right?"

"Uh hem…" Jason coughed into his hand and shook his head briskly sideways only once.

"Who else?" Sonny asked.

"Why has Zander been upstairs so long? I don't want that guy in my house." Jason turned and looked at Sorel.

"He's packing. It seems he's decided that he DOES want Cameron. And if I let you all live you'll have your own child so Cameron shouldn't be missed to terribly much." Sorel smirked.

"HE'S NOT GETTING OUT OF HERE WITH MY SON!" Jason yelled.

"You see Mr. Morgan, it's actually his son. And Zander is like a son to me so you can rest assured, Cameron will be well cared for." He stood and walked over and clapped Steven on the back. "We hadn't planned to take the boy so soon. Zander had hoped he could have flown under the radar with this one. But no, everything changed with you and your boss foolishly chose not to accept my brother in law's proposal to build the addition to the hospital. We had to go with…plan B and plan B includes getting Cameron away from you."

"What?" Elizabeth looked up, tears freely falling at this point.

"Elizabeth, this is Sonny. Keep Sorel talking okay honey? Can you do that for me?"

"Why would Zander want to be a part of his son's life now? He never wanted anything to do with him before?" She straightened her back, reaffirming her resolve to be the best help she could to get them all out of this.

Sorel started a long idiom of sisters and sons and hope for the future and his own need for an heir. Jason half listened but half tuned him out as he took in Sonny's instructions.

Everything was in motion at this point. Johnny had already snuck onto the ground while the other men were working to get in position to take out Sorel's men surrounding the property. The worst thing that could happen is one of those men alerting any of the three in the house that they didn't have complete control of the situation.

"Okay Jason, Johnny just reported back that he took out the guards at the guest cottage which means Francis, Max and Milo are now free. You need to get Cameron and Elizabeth out of the line of fire as soon as possible. I haven't been able to talk to Francis yet to figure out how to get Elizabeth away from her brother without sending Audrey to the moon."

"Mr. Sir, if I may interject? I think it's safe to say that The Sadistic Sibling at this point has been rendered useless to the nefarious ones. He would probably be most anxious to get away from their wrath and hope that his sister's love would keep you and Stone Cold from exacting your own revenge on him. Maybe Stone Cold could use Pluto to unceremoniously remove them from the equation."

Jason gave a quick nod and Sonny confirmed, "Jason you agree with Spinelli?"

Jason nodded again.

Sonny watched on screen as in the left corner, the heat of one man scaled the wall of the house. The heat of another two men took station at the French doors to the family room and one moved around the side of the house to the front.

Then he watched in the other corner as all of his other men, who Spinelli had graphically changed the heat blips to white meaning the good guys and black meaning Sorel's men. All of the men were in place. All he had to do was say the word.

Precious growled and lifted her head toward the door as she sat in front of Sonny and Spinelli blocking the door. The door swung open and the female dog leaped into action immediately biting the hand holding the gun first and wrestling the man to the ground.

Jason heard this through the earpiece and knew it was now or never.

He pinched Cameron so hard the boy shot up and immediately started crying. He knew he left a mark and hated that he had to do it but it was the only way to get to the next faze.

"Cam…hey little buddy. Did you have a nightmare?"

"Something bit me Daddy."

"Awwww…it's been a strange day hasn't it." Jason cradled his son a minute rubbing his back while breathing him in. He didn't know if he'd ever hold his son like this again. He only prayed everything every man had been trained to do fell into place and that Lady Luck was on his side tonight.

Cameron nodded his head and snuggled into his fathers embrace.

"Hey, why don't you go get Pluto? He always makes you smile. Do you remember where he is?"

"Yeah Daddy, he's in your bedroom." Cameron said as he climbed down from his fathers lap.

"Where do you think you're going little man?" Sorel stepped in front of him.

"I gonna go get Pluto. My Daddy got it for me when we went to Disney World." The little boy's innocence shone through and Sorel smiled and let him by.

_What could it hurt?_ The mobster thought as he watched the little boy scurry into the master bedroom.

"Okay Maternal One, Littlest Dude is on his way to safety. As soon as Stone Cold gives the signal you need to escape in the same manner." Spinelli said.

Sonny, having finished tying up the man who came searching him on the roof with some spare USB cords that Spinelli handed him, patted Precious on the head and said "Good Girl. Stay" He left Precious to snarl over the shaking and bleeding man. He walked back over to the screen. "Good…Cameron's gone. Okay Elizabeth, Francis has already gone in and out of Cameron's room so I can only assume that he's eliminated the threat Zander poses. He's in the other room where your Grandmother is so by now Francis is diffusing the bomb. We don't have cameras in your rooms so I have no way of knowing when he's done but he's definitely in the room with your grandmother now. When I say go, drag your brother to the panic room. Keep down and don't worry about anything but getting your ass in that panic room to be with Cameron. Do you hear me?"

Elizabeth nodded and grabbed onto her brother's hand. She leaned over and Jason watched as she whispered something.

"Is there something you'd like to share with all of us Miss Webber?" Sorel asked when he noticed her whisper into her brother's ear.

"She was just telling me that she's getting cramps again. I think she should go lie down in her bed." Steven said.

"I'll call a guard to sit with her. We can't have any mishaps this close in the game." Sorel said as Elizabeth and Steven both stood. "Speaking of the game, it appears Mr. Morgan that your boss has no intention of returning with those deeds."

"Two more minutes Jason. Cameron is in the panic room. His little C just moved down a level so he's safe. I'm waiting…there it is. Francis just moved back to the hallway, he's moving quickly down the hallway…he's…"

Suddenly a loud explosion was heard through the speakers and all Sonny and Spinelli could do is watch and pray as all the white dots converged on the house. Nothing could be heard but screaming and gunfire through the speakers.


	37. Chapter 37

And so it ends….Read Authors Note at the end. {Edited to correct to Maxie in lieu of Georgie}

**Chapter 37**

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Elizabeth counted as her child psychologist had instructed her to do.

"Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty" Elizabeth continued counting past ten when it didn't work. Just like her Grams had told her to do.

"Twenty one, twenty two, twenty three" she continued like her brother Steven had suggested when she became so aggravated one night that she ruined one of her paintings she had been working on.

"Twenty four, twenty five, twenty six. This is fun Mommy." Cameron said as he looked up at his mommy in his little tuxedo with the silver blue vest and tie that matched Jason's. He held his mother's hand tightly as they headed down the rose covered aisle toward the archway where Jason and Michael were standing. Morgan had already made it down the aisle with his mother and Sonny had walked Kate. All of them flanked around the Justice of the Peace and Jason and Michael.

When Jason chose Michael as his best man, Carly was instantly hurt and Sonny displayed some displeasure himself. However, Jason pointed out that had it not been for Michael, Jason would not be standing at the altar awaiting his bride. From then on, it was just a matter of Elizabeth figuring out how to include all of them so that there were no fights.

There was no way Carly could walk down the aisle with Sonny so Kate was included. Morgan had to be in the wedding or Cameron would refuse to wear the tuxedo AND to walk Elizabeth down the aisle. There really was no one else to walk her down the aisle since that fateful day when she nearly lost everyone including her own life.

Shiree, Max and their three girls were in attendance and Becky was the Flower Girl. Diane and her new squeeze, some guy who owned a biker bar that she and Alexis had found on some trip for Litigator of the Year, were standing in attendance as well. Johnny was there and Elizabeth tried to convince the man to bring his girlfriend but he refused. He said he wanted to come to Disney and find someone like Elizabeth. Besides, he and Kelly, Elizabeth's OBGYN, were just "fuck buddies" as he so crudely put it.

Francis wasn't there and his presence was sorely missed by all. He had been such an important person in Elizabeth's life over the past year. Tears started to mist her eyes as she looked around at the people who had so significantly touched her life over the past year. The small gathering was truly a symbol of the tight knit group she and Jason belonged to. A group of people who had proven that no matter what, they would die for each other.

She smiled down at Cameron, letting out a soft chuckle at the sight of his little top hat with the Mickey Mouse ears. Jason refused to wear his and so did Sonny. Michael agreed to wear his for a few pictures but that was it. He was nearly fourteen now, almost a man according to him, and he'd definitely discovered girls. And Mickey Mouse ears were not studly. Cameron and Morgan were extremely excited to wear them though.

Elizabeth looked up and her eyes met Jason's. Just moments ago she was so nervous but by simply looking into his crystal blue eyes a calm washed over her. He was beaming so proudly. His love gave her strength to continue on. "Twenty Seven, twenty eight, twenty nine" she continued, each number counting the steps toward her future.

"THIRTY!" Cameron yelled and the small group laughed.

Audrey turned around from pushing the Cinderella stroller. She held up her aging, crooked finger to her lip to tell her oldest great grandchild to be quiet but Cameron was having none of it.

"We're counting steps to Jason, Grams. I bet it's a hundred. If I'm right can I ride in the Cinderella carriage after we eat the cake?" He looked around his great grandmother and his little sister toward his father. "Is it a deal?"

Jason gave a stiff nod, knowing he could never say no to the little boy but also knowing he would have two, possibly more, angry women to deal with since Elizabeth and Audrey had already told Cameron he wasn't allowed to ride in the carriage that was supposed to take him and Elizabeth away to the reception they were holding at a small portion of the beach facing the castle. The exact spot that Jason professed his feelings for her and she told him she thought she was falling in love with him. And Carly would probably give him a karate chop because if Cameron gets to ride in Cinderella's Pumpkin shaped Carriage then Morgan will pitch a fit unless he gets to go.

Jason figured the coachmen with their powdered wigs and strange costumes would be willing to give the kids a little ride for some cash.

"I see you've learned from Jason the art of making deals to get what you want." Elizabeth commented as she continued to count the steps in her head and slowed down realizing that they wouldn't make one hundred if they kept walking so fast.

"Nuh-uh" Cameron shook his curly head vigorously left and right. "I wanted a baby brother and I got a sister instead."

"But you love Lilly, don't you?" Elizabeth said as she winked at Max and Shiree standing next to Letecia and Reginald.

"Yeah but I wanted a boy." Cameron pouted causing Emily and Nikolas and Alan and Monica to snicker hearing the conversation as they passed by them.

"Daddy didn't make a deal with you about having a brother or a sister did he?" She asked smiling at Edward and Alice. Elizabeth had to promise dirty things to Jason so he would agree to let his grandfather attend their wedding.

"He said that if we had another boy, our guard could be Francis but that if it was a girl, he wasn't letting his daughter anywhere near Francis or Johnny so we got Cody." Cameron unknowingly spilled the secret as to why Francis got reassigned to guarding Kristina and Alexis and Molly when she thought it was because he and Alexis were fooling around.

Of course they _were_ fooling around but the threat towards Alexis and her girls was real too. Alexis took Ric Lansing's DA job and then prosecuted him and his father for their dirty dealings with the new Zacharra family. The Zacharras escaped prosecution but had lost their longtime counselor so Sonny wanted one of his top men guarding his daughter and her mother and sister. Jason assigned Francis because for a little while, Jason was taking a step back and enjoying his family. He would guard his wife and kids. Sadly though Francis couldn't attend because Alexis had the big case to prepare for and Kristina came down with a cold at the last minute so she wasn't able to come with her father either.

"Seventy eight, seventy nine…" Elizabeth counted under her breath "I thought you liked Cody."

"I do but Francis knows neat stuff like how he made that explosive make a big pond in our back yard instead of making Grams blow sky high." Cameron said excitedly. Elizabeth's smile faltered somewhat but not so much because of her son's words. She was watching her brother.

The man lived. Only because Elizabeth would not let Jason tear his head off of his body once the dust cleared of Sorel and all of his men. Jason and Sonny allowed him to live and even offered him protection from any of Sorel's men that were left. Their only requirement was that he was now _their_ doctor. He worked at General Hospital but if the Corinthos Organization's men ever needed any patching up, Steven Webber would do it free of charge.

But that didn't mean that Elizabeth had to completely forgive her brother. She understood his motives. When they realized the man Carly slept the last time they were at Disney World was Zander, Jason and Sonny knew that this went far beyond just Steven. Sorel and Zander had been planning this for quite some time. The only difference was that Zander's original plan was to get Carly only and use her to leverage control of the piers away from Sonny. But when he was poolside and saw his ex friend and his son interacting with and then kissing Jason Morgan, well a new plan was set in motion. Right down to the gallery owner giving her the job in exchange for life saving treatments for his wife that weren't federally approved to be used in the United States.

It was really a big network of plots that came together perfectly except they didn't plan on one factor. Jason's love and determination to make sure everyone in attendance today, and a few that were still in Port Charles, would come out of it alive.

Next she saw Cody and Spinelli. Damien Spinelli refused to be in the wedding. He wanted to video it as his wedding present. He told Elizabeth how his new Mac would make these awesome montages, pictures and banners for them. He had no less than twenty cameras set up at each location and had been taping footage the entire three days they had been there so far.

Spinelli was in a matching tuxedo anyway. Something Jason insisted upon. He wanted Spinelli to stand up for him next to Sonny and Michael and Morgan so he insisted that they compromise. In exchange for letting him videotape everything from picking out the dress and tuxes to the ceremony and even portions of the honeymoon, he would have to wear a tux, be at the front standing near them and would allow Jason to hire the Disney photographer so that Spinelli could enjoy the reception and be in the wedding photos.

So Spinelli was at the front with his black tux, silver blue vest and tie and a crazy looking contraption on his head covered mostly by a black beanie. One eye was covered with an optical lens and a headset could be seen sticking out from his ear toward his mouth. Cody was behind him in his usual black suit for when he guarded fancy events but he was running commands on the computer as Spinelli directed him while watching the various camera angles through the lens.

It was crazy, it was high tech and it was way over the top. And it was completely, adorably Spinelli. Which is why Elizabeth smiled and waved her three fingers peeking out from behind her huge bouquet of white calla lilies and roses. All harvested and flown on the ELQ jet that morning from Lila's garden with Edward and Alice and the rest of the crazy Quartermaines.

Ned was strumming his guitar while BrookLynn sang a beautiful song she had written herself. Lois and Jax were standing with Maxie and Bobbie and Mike. In all there were around thirty people in attendance. A perfect combination of family and friends.

"Uh oh Mommy." Cameron announced as they made the last few steps. Jason could reach out and touch them and the stroller with Little Lilly. Everyone, including the justice of the peace and the costumed Mickey and Minnie looked at Cameron who had a serious look on his face.

Elizabeth looked down and could see his foot was raised and he was holding it up. "What number are we at Cam?" She asked quickly.

"Ninety eight Mommy." He frowned and she could see the water welling in his eyes.

"Okay, step back." She and he both took a step back. "Ninety nine"

And then another step forward, "ONE HUNDRED" Cameron shouted at the top of his lungs and the whole congregation laughed while Morgan could be heard and seen pumping his fist and exclaiming "YES"

Cameron remembered his instructions and held up his hand to put his Mommy's hand that he was holding into his Daddy's hand that was already outstretched so he wouldn't forget.

"There" He said with a nod. He'd done his job. He walked his Mommy down the aisle to his Daddy which meant he would get two pieces of cake. Another deal he made with his Daddy.

Jason took Elizabeth's one hand and waited as she handed off her bouquet of flowers to her Matron and Maid of Honor, Grams and Lilly. Then she turned around and sucked in a deep breath of air and smiled.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber…"

~%~%~%~%~%~

They had danced on the sand until her legs barely held her up. The kids had ridden on Cinderella's Coach until Jason had to borrow a wad of cash from Sonny because he'd depleted the wad in his own pocket. They'd spoken to Francis and Alexis and the girls from Port Charles where they watched the wedding feed over the internet via Spinelli and thanked them both for their well wishes and the gift of the expensive bottle of wine from Francis' own private stock. They'd taken pictures with family and friends and Emily even convinced her brother to sit for a Quartermaine family portrait since almost everyone was there. They thanked Kate for having one of her connections in the fashion industry make Elizabeth's one of a kind wedding dress that was a simple silk strapless gown that hung just to the floor. Then they thanked Carly who insisted that her Goddaughter be walked down the aisle in a beautiful carriage she had made to be an exact replica of the Pumpkin Carriage from Cinderella. It was all white with lights and sparkly sequins and was lined in satin. A special mobile hung down with all of the Disney Princesses. Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Arielle and Alice in Wonderland all hung and flew around in a circle while Tinkerbelle hung off to the side with her magic wand sprinkling fairy dust, which was really an optical illusion, and Jiminy Cricket sang When You Wish Upon A Star. It was really a beautiful carriage and Elizabeth knew that Lilly would cherish it forever.

Lilly was three months old now. She was born three weeks after the harrowing incident just before New Years when twelve of Sorel's men, including Zander and Sorel himself, died in her living room. Jason was stabbed again. Francis had third degree burns on his hands because the bomb jacket's minor _fuel_ igniter explosion had gone off in his hand while he was tossing the jacket full of C4 out the upstairs hall window. Max had a broken nose and cheek bone and Milo was shot in the arm. However, everyone except the two guards at the front gate made it out alive with minimal damage.

Johnny had shown up with his own reinforcements. Popeye had proven instrumental in helping to attack and corner the guards outside the guest cottage so that he could release Max, Milo and Francis. Precious had proven herself quite well too. As men approached the rooftop that day, she alerted Sonny who was able to take down the three additional men that were there to attack him on Sorel's orders. After that, Sonny insisted that Precious be treated as the Corinthos Organization Mob Princess. He doted on her so much that within a month, Jason and Elizabeth had talked Spinelli into letting Sonny and Kate have the dog. Now, except for the trip for this wedding, Precious and Sonny were inseparable. Wherever Sonny went, Precious was at his side at all times.

He even called her "Sonny's Bitch" himself because he couldn't deny the irony of it.

Johnny kept Popeye and was training both dogs to work for them. He and Francis were training the younger male dog to detect all kinds of things from explosives to humans to drugs. Precious would simply be Sonny's guard dog but Popeye would help him and the rest of Sonny's men in the trenches.

To satisfy Cameron and Spinelli, Pongo and Perdy were being adopted directly from the Disney Kennels. They would have official papers. Not only were they AKC Dalmatians but they were also lineage from the original One Hundred and One Dalmatians that Walt himself bred in the early sixties when the original Disney animated version of the book came out. Both were puppies and both were far enough apart in lineage that Elizabeth and Jason could breed them together and Disney would sign off on the lineage certificates after a vet showed proof from blood tests.

Spinelli was fascinated with this idea and had already studied greatly how often he could breed them. His, Cameron, Morgan and Michael's not so secret goal was to truly have one hundred and one Dalmatians by the time Lilly was five.

The fireworks had just finished and Audrey and Monica were helping Alan gather the kids and their belongings. Alice had already taken Edward in to one of the many rooms in the block of suites Jason procured at the Contemporary for family and friends. Alan and Monica were taking Cameron and staying in Cinderella's Castle that night along with Michael and Morgan. Jason, Carly and Sonny's only requirement was that Cody was there to keep an eye on the boys. Audrey was staying with Lilly in a room on the floor just below the Honeymoon Suite at the Floridian. All agreed that Lilly was too young to be too far away but Audrey had been there to help Elizabeth since the baby was born so they all three prayed that Jason and Elizabeth would get an uninterrupted wedding night at least.

The younger crowd had left. BrookLynn, Spinelli, Maxie, Mercedes, who had just been hired to be Jason and Elizabeth's new nanny, all went with Milo to Pleasure Island. Elizabeth and Carly had bet a thousand dollar shopping spree that Mercedes and Milo would marry before Spinelli and Maxie. Elizabeth took the bet because she could see the friendship growing between her nanny and her…house mate? Little Brother in Law? Oldest Son? Spinelli. She bet that neither couple would get married but never told Carly her suspicions as to why. Carly would blab or make some threat to one or the other just to win the bet.

Finally, they were standing in the sand where they professed their feelings for one another almost a year ago to the day and looked around to see Jax and Carly dancing. Carly had just found out she was pregnant and everyone prayed it was a little girl. Max and Shiree were on a little honeymoon of their own since they hadn't taken one when they got married. Shiree's parents had moved to Tampa and took the three girls right after the wedding to stay with them for a week while Max and Shiree took a Disney Cruise to see about giving the three girls a little brother. Johnny, who had been hitting on the wedding planner all day had turned his attention elsewhere once Pocahontas came to enjoy the festivities along with several other Disney characters. It looked like Captain Johnny _O'Brien_ Smith was going to befriend the helpful Indian after all.

"One, two, three, four, five…" Jason slowly, lazily dragged his lips from her bare shoulder to her neck. "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten…" he sucked her earlobe into his mouth and lightly bit down on it, careful not to damage the dazzling diamonds that hung from her ears, a wedding present from Edward. Lila's diamond earrings.

"What are you counting to ten for?" Elizabeth asked as she covered her hands overtop of Jason's forearms which were wrapped around her waist rubbing against the feel of the plain, unadorned satin sheath.

It was a stunning gown but simple. Strapless and plain. Form fitting with a beautiful train that gathered and draped down the back. Her veil had been equally long but she had long ago removed it from her long flowing hair. Jason liked it down so she insisted her hair be down and simple and flowing in fat waves down her back for the wedding. The only difference was the simple satin steel blue material that matched Jason's tie and vest was sewn criss crossed around her bust and then made the train in the back. The blue was an understated tone which did not detract from the wedding gown but only enhanced it. The matching blue satin ribbon that surrounded her bridal bouquet tied it all in nicely and matched her bridesmaids dresses. All designed by Kate's friend Frederico.

"I'm counting the number of people still here on _**OUR**_ beach." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath making her shiver and the tingles start to course through her body.

The doctor had given the go ahead for them to resume a sexual relationship. The stress of the pregnancy plus the fact that the baby came prematurely and Elizabeth had complications in delivery all added to the fact that it had been the longest eleven weeks of their lives but Kelly, with Doctor Meadows second opinion, finally released her one hundred percent. After so long, it was going to truly be a magical night. It would be like the first time because the anticipation of waiting so long had built up a need and desire within each other that rivaled the need and desire they felt for each other a year ago.

"Well why don't we make it two less and go to our suite to start our honeymoon." She purred as her freshly manicured fingernails grazed the side of his face.

"Mrs. Morgan, that's the best idea you've had all day." He said as he bent down and scooped her up in his arms.

Everyone turned and cheered them as he started walking toward the hotel. Two cannons went off but nobody flinched. Everyone was forewarned that when the happy couple left, the cannons would shoot fairy dust into the air to rain down on the happy couple.

"I think the best idea I had was saying I do Mr. Morgan." She smiled as she pulled at his neck to lift her lips to his.

A collective sigh from all watching surrounded them as Jason held Elizabeth in his arms in front of The Castle across the lagoon. The window faded and the bubble closed in as a chorus of birds sang. Jiminy Cricket walked onto the screen and with the tip of his cane pushed the picture of the beautiful couple out of his way. Tinkerbelle flew in and sprinkled fairy dust and as it fell to the ground the two lovers were transformed into a cartoon Prince and Princess as Jiminy Cricket announced

"And they lived happily ever after"

**The End**

Authors Note: Well…so the fairy tale ends. I've always had the vision of the last chapter. You can go online and see that Disney can actually make this happen. I tidied everything up into a neat nice bow simply because that's how fairy tales are. I thank each and every one of you who have gone on this journey with me. This is my second story ever written and I never expected it to take this long or be this long. I must apologize for all the times I made you wait weeks and months for a new chapter. The story didn't address everything I put into it but I tried to tie up the loose ends for most of it. Again, thank you for taking this journey with me. I had a blast. With Disney, the magic is never ending.


End file.
